PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Farida Bekenova
AU  - Natalya Latypova
AU  - Victor Tkachev
TI  - Prevalence and risks of COPD in workers of uranium processing enterprise
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P1121
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P1121.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P1121.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - The low-dose radiation has a major impact on different pathology processes. However the role of radiation in the development of COPD is still unclear.Aim: To study prevalence and risks of COPD in workers of uranium processing enterprise (UPE) exposed to a low-dose radiation.Methods: COPD prevalence (Pr), relative risks (RR) and standartized risks (SRR) were determined. The cross-sectional study performed in two contrasted areas (Central Kazakhstan): 1520 workers randomly selected from UPE with low-dose radiation occupational exposure (I) and 920 workers from bearing plant (BP) without low-dose radiation exposure (II). Data about their occupational exposures, respiratory symptoms, socio-economic status, and smoking were collected. Spirometric measurements were performed on 345 (I) and 170 (II) randomly selected workers.Results: COPD Pr in I was 9,1% (95%CI 7,2-11,0) while in II it was significantly lower – 2,3% (95%CI 1,5-3,4). COPD RR I exceed II in 3,9 times (RR-3,9; 95%CI 2,7-7,8; χ2 = 17,2; r&amp;lt;0,001). The highest COPD Pr was in workers of UPE having job experience more than 20 yrs and total dose of radiation exposure more than 120 mZv - 26,5% (95% CI 23,8-29,6). COPD Pr in BP workers with job experience more than 20 yrs was 5,3% (95%CI 3,8-9,6) only. Prevalence of smoking on the compared enterprises was within the limits of 67-72,3% (RR I vs II - 1,1). After adjusting for confounders we detected high risk COPD in workers with a radiation exposure (SRR-5,1; 95%CI 8,2-9,9; χ2 = 5,4; r&amp;lt;0,001).Conclusion: Results of our study demonstrated an important role of the low-dose radiation exposure in the development of COPD.