silicon and Asthma

Topics: Air Pollution, Indoor; Animals; Asthma; Biofuels; Biomarkers, Tumor; Breast Neoplasms; Copper; Coronavirus Infections; Crops, Agricultural; Feces; Female; Gene Editing; Gold; Graphite; Helminthiasis; Hong Kong; Humans; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; Korea; Lighting; Malaysia; MicroRNAs; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Silicon; Singapore; Speech Recognition Software; Taiwan; Video Recording

Two of the biggest challenges in medicine today are the need to detect diseases in a noninvasive manner and to differentiate between patients using a single diagnostic tool. The current study targets these two challenges by developing a molecularly modified silicon nanowire field effect transistor (SiNW FET) and showing its use in the detection and classification of many disease breathprints (lung cancer, gastric cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The fabricated SiNW FETs are characterized and optimized based on a training set that correlate their sensitivity and selectivity toward volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked with the various disease breathprints. The best sensors obtained in the training set are then examined under real-world clinical conditions, using breath samples from 374 subjects. Analysis of the clinical samples show that the optimized SiNW FETs can detect and discriminate between almost all binary comparisons of the diseases under examination with >80% accuracy. Overall, this approach has the potential to support detection of many diseases in a direct harmless way, which can reassure patients and prevent numerous unpleasant investigations.

Topics: Asthma; Breath Tests; Humans; Lung Diseases; Nanowires; Silicon; Volatile Organic Compounds

Ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure is associated with children's respiratory health. Little is known about the importance of different PM constituents. We investigated the effects of PM constituents on asthma, allergy, and lung function until the age of 11-12 years.. For 3,702 participants of a prospective birth cohort study, questionnaire-reported asthma and hay fever and measurements of allergic sensitization and lung function were linked with annual average concentrations of copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium, and zinc in particles with diameters of less than 2.5 and 10 μm (PM2.5 and PM10) at birth addresses and current addresses from land-use regression models. Exposure-health relations were analyzed by multiple (repeated measures) logistic and linear regressions.. Asthma incidence and prevalence of asthma symptoms and rhinitis were positively associated with zinc in PM10 at the birth address (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] per interquartile range increase in exposure 1.13 [1.02, 1.25], 1.08 [1.00, 1.17], and 1.16 [1.04, 1.30], respectively). Moreover, asthma symptoms were positively associated with copper in PM10 at the current address (1.06 [1.00, 1.12]). Allergic sensitization was positively associated with copper and iron in PM10 at the birth address (relative risk [95% confidence interval] 1.07 [1.01, 1.14] and 1.10 [1.03, 1.18]) and current address. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second was negatively associated with copper and iron in PM2.5 (change [95% confidence interval] -2.1% [-1.1, -0.1%] and -1.0% [-2.0, -0.0%]) and FEF75-50 with copper in PM10 at the current address (-2.3% [-4.3, -0.3%]).. PM constituents, in particular iron, copper, and zinc, reflecting poorly regulated non-tailpipe road traffic emissions, may increase the risk of asthma and allergy in schoolchildren.

Topics: Asthma; Child; Child, Preschool; Copper; Female; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Iron; Linear Models; Logistic Models; Male; Netherlands; Nickel; Particulate Matter; Potassium; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal; Silicon; Sulfur; Vanadium; Zinc

To investigate the association between decline in lung function and production of alloys in the Norwegian smelting industry.. All employees (N = 3924) were examined annually for 5 years (16,570 examinations). The employees were classified into three categories: 1) line operators (employed full time in the production line), 2) nonexposed (no exposure last year), and 3) non-line operators (remaining subjects). The outcome variable was expressed as forced expiratory volume in 1 second per squared height (FEV1/height(2)).. In the subcohorts of the ferrosilicon/silicon metal and silicon carbide industries, the differences between line operators and nonexposed workers were -2.3 (-4.3 to -0.3) (CI = 95%) and -5.6 (-10.4 to -0.7) mL/(m(2) x year), respectively.. Line operators in the ferrosilicon/silicon metal and silicon carbide industries had a steeper annual decline in FEV1/height compared with nonexposed workers.

Topics: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Asthma; Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Male; Metallurgy; Norway; Occupational Diseases; Prospective Studies; Respiration Disorders; Silicon; Silicon Compounds; Silicosis; Smoking

Topics: Asthma; Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Silicon

The reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS) is a recently described syndrome in which bronchial hyperreactivity and asthmatic symptoms develop in previously healthy individuals after a single large exposure to an irritating gas, fume, or vapor. We report a cluster of three Philadelphia police officers who developed RADS after a common exposure to toxic fumes from a roadside truck accident. Results of initial pulmonary function testing were normal in all three, and methacholine challenge was required for diagnosis in two out of the three. This syndrome needs to be recognized by physicians dealing with environmental or industrial medicine as a potential cause of loss of work or inability to perform on the job. Also, there is a potential for multiple individuals to develop this syndrome from a single incident.

Topics: Accidents, Traffic; Adult; Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Chlorides; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Silanes; Silicon; Silicon Compounds; Sodium Hydroxide; Vital Capacity

Topics: Asthma; Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Silicon; Skin Tests

Topics: Air Pollution; Allergens; Asthma; Cadmium; Carbon Monoxide; Conjunctiva; Digestive System; Epidemiologic Methods; Food Contamination; Humans; Lung; Respiratory System; Silicon; Skin; Sulfur Dioxide; Water Pollution