Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan. hisamitsu−
Allergol Int. 2011 Sep;60(3):373-9. doi: 10.2332/allergolint.10-OA-0210. Epub 2011 May 25.
Environmental exposure to formaldehyde is commonly associated with clinical symptoms such as mucosal irritation and olfactory disorders. However, the impact of such exposure on the development of mucosal inflammation and its outcome has not been carefully evaluated.
The observational non-comparative study was planned. The study population consisted of group of 41 medical students who had signed up for a cadaver dissection course as part of their gross anatomy teaching at the school of medicine Chiba University in Japan. During such dissection course, the students are exposed to variable levels of environmental formaldehyde routinely employed for the preservation the cadavers. The subjects were evaluated by a detailed medical examination. We measured their serum IgE levels. In addition, an olfaction test and nasal mucosal sensitivity to histamine was serially determined, immediately before and after the course and 6 months after the completion of the course.
Olfactory abnormalities were observed in 13/41 (32%) subjects and increased nasal mucosal hypersensitivity to histamine was observed in 17/41 (41%) during and immediately after completion of the course. These subjects had evidence of preexisting allergic rhinitis. 6/41 (15%) other students with no prior evidence of allergic rhinitis also exhibited formaldehyde associated clinical symptoms during the dissecting course. However, the symptoms disappeared upon completion of the course in all subjects studied.
Temporary abnormalities in the olfaction test and increased nasal mucosal hypersensitivity to histamine were observed in a few students with preexisting allergic rhinitis after environmental exposure of high concentrations of formaldehyde. These effects appeared to be transient.
环境暴露于甲醛通常与临床症状相关，例如黏膜刺激和嗅觉障碍。然而，这种暴露对黏膜炎症的发展及其结果的影响尚未得到仔细评估。
本研究为观察性非对照研究。研究人群由一组 41 名医学生组成，他们报名参加了日本千叶大学医学院的尸体解剖课程，作为他们大体解剖教学的一部分。在这种解剖课程中，学生通常会接触到不同水平的环境甲醛，这些甲醛用于保存尸体。通过详细的医学检查评估受试者。我们测量了他们的血清 IgE 水平。此外，我们还在课程开始前、课程中和课程结束后 6 个月，连续测定嗅觉测试和鼻黏膜对组胺的敏感性。
在 41 名受试者中，有 13 名（32%）观察到嗅觉异常，有 17 名（41%）在课程中和课程结束后立即出现鼻黏膜对组胺的超敏反应。这些受试者有过敏性鼻炎的既往证据。在没有既往过敏性鼻炎证据的 41 名学生中，有 6 名（15%）在解剖课程中也表现出与甲醛相关的临床症状。然而，在所有研究的受试者中，这些症状在课程结束后消失。
在接触高浓度甲醛后，少数有既往过敏性鼻炎的学生出现嗅觉测试异常和鼻黏膜对组胺的超敏反应短暂性增加。这些影响似乎是短暂的。
