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Serum Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 and Interleukin-8 as Predictors of Pulmonary Impairment among secondary coppet Smelters

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Mona Ramadan at Cairo University
Mona Ramadan
Marwa Fouad at Cairo University
Marwa Fouad
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Objective Copper smelter workers are exposed to harmful chemical agents in dust and fumes which contain harmful metals such as copper and arsenic. These substances are known to be respiratory irritants.Methods This study aimed at investigating the effect of occupational exposure to copper and arsenic on the respiratory system. A group of 75 male exposed workers, and 75 male administrative employees (control group) were recruited from a secondary copper smelting factory.Full history, complete clinical examination, ventilatory function parameters (FVC, FEV1, FVC/FEV1 and FEF), and chest X-ray were done for both groups. Serum levels of ICAM-1 and IL8 (as markers of epithelial injury) were measured by ELISA. Serum copper and arsenic were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.ResultsThe exposed group was associated with increased respiratory symptoms, higher serum copper, arsenic, and ICAM-1and Il-8 as compared to the control group. There was a significant decrease in ventilatory parameters among the exposed group: 58.7% of the exposed group had restrictive lung impairment, 40% had obstructive impairment. In the exposed group a positive correlation between serum copper, arsenic and serum ICAM and IL8 was found. While a negative correlation was observed between both serum ICAM, IL8 and ventilatory parameters among the exposed group. Moreover, 36% of the exposed group had radiological infiltrates on chest X.ray.Conclusion Occupational exposure to copper and arsenic was associated with ventilatory and radiological impairment, with a corresponding increase in the serum level of ICAM-1 and IL8, which can be used as biomarkers for pulmonary impairment among copper smelter workers.
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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (2022) 95:365–375
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01770-3
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Serum intracellular adhesion molecule‑1 andinterleukin‑8
aspredictors ofpulmonary impairment amongworkers insecondary
copper smelters
MarwaMohammedFouad1· MonaAbdallahRamadan1
Received: 22 February 2021 / Accepted: 21 June 2021 / Published online: 5 October 2021
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021
Abstract
Objective Copper smelter workers are exposed to harmful chemical agents in dust and fumes which contain harmful metals
such as copper and arsenic. These substances are known to be respiratory irritants.
Methods This study aimed at investigating the effect of occupational exposure to copper and arsenic on the respiratory
system. A group of 75 male exposed workers, and 75 male administrative employees (control group) were recruited from
a secondary copper smelting factory.
Full history, complete clinical examination, ventilatory function parameters (FVC, FEV1, FVC/FEV1 and FEF), and chest
X-ray were done for both groups. Serum levels of ICAM-1 and IL8 (as markers of epithelial injury) were measured by ELISA.
Serum copper and arsenic were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
Results The exposed group was associated with increased respiratory symptoms, higher serum copper, arsenic, and ICAM-
1and Il-8 as compared to the control group. There was a significant decrease in ventilatory parameters among the exposed
group: 58.7% of the exposed group had restrictive lung impairment, 40% had obstructive impairment. In the exposed group
a positive correlation between serum copper, arsenic and serum ICAM and IL8 was found. While a negative correlation
was observed between both serum ICAM, IL8 and ventilatory parameters among the exposed group. Moreover, 36% of the
exposed group had radiological infiltrates on chest X.ray.
Conclusion Occupational exposure to copper and arsenic was associated with ventilatory and radiological impairment, with
a corresponding increase in the serum level of ICAM-1 and IL8, which can be used as biomarkers for pulmonary impair-
ment among copper smelter workers.
Keywords Copper smelter· Arsenic· Ventilatory function parameters· ICAM-1· IL8· X-ray
Introduction
The production of copper (Cu) has grown significantly in
the recent years. It is used to make valuable alloys and is
used in many forms for electrical engineering, electronics,
and in pipes for water installation (Gupta 2007; Moynier
etal. 2017).
Copper industries have no doubt increased the amount of
copper pollution and its by-products within the environment,
which increases the risk of copper toxicity in both animals
and humans (Bat etal. 2017). Industrial workers who are
constantly exposed to copper have an increased susceptibil-
ity to developing pulmonary pathologies that result in lung
damage and impaired respiratory function (associated with
elevated serum copper concentration) (Dagli etal. 2010;
EPA 2011). Long etal. (2012) noted that exposure to toxic
chemicals and fumes, including copper and arsenic, among
copper smelter workers, significantly affected the overall
health of these workers and increased their chances of devel-
oping pulmonary diseases and complications.
Copper is considered to be a respiratory irritant. Inhala-
tion of copper fumes has been shown to induce irritation
of the upper respiratory tract, associated with metal fume
fever (ACGIH 1999). Chronic health effects due to occu-
pational exposure to copper fumes may include general
malaise, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and hepatomegaly.
* Mona Abdallah Ramadan
drmonaabd@yahoo.com
1 Occupational andEnvironmental Medicine Department,
Faculty ofMedicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... A relevant result was also obtained for IL-8 levels, which were highly increased not only between HCs and patients but also between patients with SS and the group with a more advanced stage of the disease, PMF, which means that this cytokine, along with others, could be a good candidate marker to discriminate between disease stages. This is in line with recently published data where IL-8 levels were associated with progression and death in silicosis [15], with pulmonary impairment in copper smelter workers [34] and with progression in CWP disease [35]; however, in another study with CWP patients, no significant differences were observed in IL-8 levels [36]. ...
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