[Studies on the local defense reactions of the nasal mucosa in employees in Rostock harbor exposed to large amounts of dust].

Defense mechanisms of the nasal mucosa are characterised by resistance and immunity processes. Secretory IgA seems to be very important for immune response. The aim of our work was to clarify whether the concentration of S-IgA in nasal secretion was influenced by extreme exposure of dock workers to dust. We investigated the nasal fluid of both the septum and the turbinate mucosa of 75 dock workers compared with 12 controls. A decrease of S-IgA concentration in the nasal fluid was seen after the work. This decrease differed for the various types kinds of dust and was significant (p less than 0.05) for apatite, urea and potash. A reduction of S-IgA was also seen after exposure for a longer time (several years). Dockers with repeated infections do not have decreased S-IgA values. These investigations make a contribution to the immune response in the nasal mucosa.