Letter to the Editor |
Letter to the Editor
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Occupational Medicine, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland
e-mail: timo.hannu{at}ttl.fi
Dear Sir,
Drs Shanahan and Ahern raised important concerns in their editorial [1]. I would like to make a brief contribution to this valuable discussion and suggest another possible role for occupational medicine in the matter.
A possible link between occupational hazards and the development of rheumatic diseases has been investigated. The studied rheumatic diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma [2,3]. All three diseases share the occupational risk factor of exposure to crystalline silica, and the association has been the most clearly documented in the case of scleroderma. Occupational physicians serving workers exposed to crystalline silica should be aware of this association. Although the exposure–dose relationship or pathophysiological mechanisms remain unknown, the prevention of possible adverse health effects should not be overlooked. Therefore, it is recommendable to reduce exposure to crystalline silica by technical solutions and by use of personal protective equipment. To achieve this goal, cooperation between occupational health physicians and occupational hygiene professionals is essential.
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References |
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 Top References |
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- Shanahan EM, Ahern M. Inflammatory arthritis and work disability: what is the role of occupational medicine? Occup Med (Lond) (2008) 58:2–4.[CrossRef][Medline]
- Silman AJ, Hochberg MC. Epidemiology of the Rheumatic Diseases. (2001) Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Parks CG, Conrad K, Cooper GS. Occupational exposure to crystalline silica and autoimmune disease. In: Environ Health Perspect (1999) 107(Suppl. 5):793–802.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]
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