BackgroundBetween 15 and 20% of prevalent cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been attributed to occupational exposures to vapours, gases, dusts and fumes. Dust at construction sites is still a challenge, but no overview exists of COPD among construction workers.AimsTo assess the occurrence of COPD among construction workers.MethodsWe performed a systematic search in PubMed and Embase between 1 January 1990 and 31 August 2016 in order to identify epidemiological studies with a risk estimate for either COPD morbidity/mortality or a spirometry-based definition of airway obstruction among workers in the construction industry. The authors independently assessed studies to determine their eligibility and performed a quality assessment of the included papers.ResultsTwelve studies were included. Nine studies found a statistically significant association between COPD and work in the construction industry, although only among never-smokers in one study and only for the period after 2000 in another study. One study found that the annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s was significantly higher among construction workers compared with bus drivers.ConclusionsThis review suggests that COPD occurs more often among construction workers than among workers who are not exposed to construction dust. It is not possible to draw any conclusions on specific subgroups as most studies analysed construction workers as one united group. In addition, no potential exposure–effect relationship could be identified.

BackgroundWithin the construction industry the risk of lung disorders depends on the specific professions probably due to variations in the levels of dust exposure, and with dust levels depending on the work task and job function. We do not know the extent of exposure in the different professions or the variation between the different work tasks. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess if there were differences in dust exposure between carpenters and demolition workers who were expected to have low and high dust exposure, respectively.MethodsThrough interviews of key persons in the construction industry the most common work tasks were selected, and the concentration of dust during these tasks (indoors) were measured by personal sampling varying between 4 and 6 h of a working day. In total 38 measurements of total dust, and 25 of respirable dust on seven different work tasks were carried out for carpenters and 20 measurements of total dust, 11 of respirable dust and 11 of respirable crystalline silica dust on four different works tasks for demolition workers. Dust measurements were tested for differences using linear regression, t-test and one-way ANOVA.ResultsFor carpenters the geometric mean for all the measurements of total dust was 1.26 mg/m3 (geometric standard deviation 2.90) and the respirable dust was 0.27 mg/m3 (geometric standard deviation 2.13). For demolition workers the geometric mean of total dust for all the measurements was 22.3 mg/m3 (geometric standard deviation 11.6) and the respirable dust was 1.06 mg/m3 (geometric standard deviation 5.64).The mean difference between total dust for demolition workers and carpenters was 11.4 (95 % confidence interval 3.46–37.1) mg/m3. The mean difference between respirable dust for demolition workers and carpenters was 3.90 (95 % confidence interval 1.13–13.5) mg/m3.Dust exposure varied depending on work task for both professions. The dustiest work occurred during demolition, especially when it was done manually.Only few workers used personal respiratory protection and only while performing the dustiest work.ConclusionsThis study confirmed that the exposure to dust and especially total dust was much higher for demolition workers compared to carpenters.Trial registration(ISRCTN registry): The study is not a clinical trial and are thus not registered.

Angiogenic, mitochondrial, and related transcriptional proteins were assessed in human skeletal muscle and isolated vascular cells during the early phase of endurance training. Thigh muscle biopsies were obtained in healthy young subjects, after one acute bout (n = 9) and after 3, 5, 7, and 14 days (n = 9) of cycle ergometer training. Whole muscle homogenates were analyzed for angiogenic, mitochondrial, and regulatory mRNA and protein levels. Angiogenic proteins were determined in muscle‐derived endothelial cells and pericytes sorted by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Acute exercise induced an increase in whole muscle mRNA of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (4.5‐fold; P = .002) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (2.4‐fold; P = .001) at 2 hours post. After 14 days of training, there was an increase in CD31 protein (63%; P = .010) in whole muscle indicating capillary growth. There was also an increase in muscle VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) (1.5‐fold; P = .013), in OXPHOS proteins (complex I, II, IV, V; 1.4‐ to 1.9‐fold; P < .05) after 14 days of training and an increase in estrogen‐related receptorα protein (1.5‐fold; P = .039) at 14 days compared to 5 days of training. Both endothelial cells and pericytes expressed VEGF and other angiogenic factors at the protein level but with a distinctively lower expression of VEGFR2 and thrombospondin‐1 (TSP‐1) in pericytes. The findings illustrate that initiation of capillary and mitochondrial adaptations occurs within 14 days of training and suggest that sustained changes in angiogenic proteins including VEGF and TSP‐1 are moderate in whole muscle and vascular cells.

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