Terho E O, Tupi K, Vohlonen I, Husman K
Kuopio Regional Institute of Occupational Health, Finland.
Eur J Respir Dis Suppl. 1987;152:128-38.
This study was based on a sample of 3,065 farmers from a larger survey population of 12,056 Finnish farmers. Data were gathered in a postal survey conducted by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Serum precipitins were determined by a microplate method of immune diffusion. The antigen panel consisted of mycelial antigens of Micropolyspora faeni, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Aspergillus umbrosus. Geographical variation in the prevalence of precipitins was statistically significant, evidently due to climatic differences. The more intensive the cattle raising, the more commonly were precipitins found in the sera of farmers. For participation in animal tending (cattle, pigs, or poultry) or in plant cultivation work only, the prevalence of precipitins was largest among farmers who tended cattle or swine. According to earlier studies, serum precipitins to Thermoactinomyces vulgaris are associated with farmer's lung. Precipitins to this microbe were most commonly found in farmers who tended pigs and were also very common in farmers who worked only in plant cultivation. These findings imply that farmer's lung may also develop among pig farmers and grain producers. Precipitins to Thermoactinomyces vulgaris were clearly related to the type of grain drier used on the farm. The study failed to identify detailed tasks in farming associated with large prevalence of precipitins, probably owing to considerable overlap in the exposure encountered in different tasks.
本研究基于从12056名芬兰农民这一较大调查群体中抽取的3065名农民样本。数据是通过芬兰社会保险机构开展的邮政调查收集的。血清沉淀素通过免疫扩散微孔板法测定。抗原组由嗜热放线菌、普通嗜热放线菌、烟曲霉和荫蔽曲霉的菌丝体抗原组成。沉淀素患病率的地理差异具有统计学意义，显然是由于气候差异所致。养牛越密集，在农民血清中发现沉淀素的情况就越普遍。仅就参与畜牧（牛、猪或家禽）或植物种植工作而言，沉淀素患病率在饲养牛或猪的农民中最高。根据早期研究，针对普通嗜热放线菌的血清沉淀素与农民肺有关。针对这种微生物的沉淀素最常见于养猪的农民中，在仅从事植物种植的农民中也很常见。这些发现表明，养猪农民和谷物生产者中也可能会发生农民肺。针对普通嗜热放线菌的沉淀素与农场使用的谷物干燥机类型明显相关。该研究未能确定与沉淀素高患病率相关的农业具体工作，可能是因为不同工作中接触情况有相当大的重叠。
