Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Occup Environ Med. 2011 Jul;68(7):474-8. doi: 10.1136/oem.2010.055681. Epub 2010 Dec 16.
Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been associated with cardiopulmonary mortality and cardiovascular events. This study investigated the association between a biological marker of PAH exposure, assessed by urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), and heart-rate variability in an occupational cohort of boilermakers.
Continuous 24 h monitoring of the ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) and pre- and postshift urinary 1-OHP were repeated over extended periods of the work week. Mixed-effects models were fitted for the 5 min SD of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) in relation to urinary 1-OHP levels pre- and postworkshift on the day they wore the monitor, controlling for potential confounders.
The authors found a significant decrease in 5 min SDNN during work of -13.6% (95% CI -17.2% to -9.8%) per SD (0.53 μg/g creatinine) increase in the next-morning preshift 1-OHP levels. The magnitude of reduction in 5 min SDNN was largest during the late night period after work and increased with each SD (0.46 μg/g creatinine) increase in postshift 1-OHP levels.
This is the first report providing evidence that occupational exposure to PAHs is associated with altered cardiac autonomic function. Acute exposure to PAHs may be an important predictor of cardiovascular disease risk in the work environment.
多环芳烃（PAHs）的暴露与心肺死亡率和心血管事件有关。本研究调查了职业锅炉工人队列中，通过尿液 1-羟基芘（1-OHP）评估的 PAH 暴露生物标志物与心率变异性之间的关系。
在工作周的延长时间内，连续 24 小时监测动态心电图（ECG）和工作前后的尿液 1-OHP。在佩戴监测器的当天，根据工作前后尿液 1-OHP 水平，针对潜在的混杂因素，拟合混合效应模型，以获得正常到正常间隔（SDNN）的 5 分钟标准差与尿液 1-OHP 水平之间的关系。
作者发现，随着次日清晨班前 1-OHP 水平每增加一个标准差（0.53μg/g 肌酐），5 分钟 SDNN 会显著降低-13.6%（95%CI-17.2%至-9.8%）。5 分钟 SDNN 的降低幅度在工作后的深夜时段最大，并随着每个 SD（0.46μg/g 肌酐）的增加而增加。
这是第一个提供证据表明职业性接触多环芳烃与心脏自主功能改变有关的报告。急性接触多环芳烃可能是工作环境中心血管疾病风险的重要预测因子。
