Cytokines in Metal Fume Fever

Abstract

Metal fume fever is a flulike illness caused by zinc oxide inhalation and accompanied by an impressive pulmonary cellular response. We hypothesized that the syndrome is mediated by cytokines released in the lung after exposure to zinc oxide fume. We carried out 26 experimental welding exposures in 23 volunteer subjects, performing postexposure bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) 3 h (n = 6), 8 h (n = 11), or 22 h (n = 9) after exposure. We detected tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) varying in a time- and exposure-related manner. The concentration of TNF in the BAL fluid supernatant was significantly greater at 3 h than at 8 h or 22 h after exposure (p < 0.05), exhibiting a statistically significant exposure-response relationship to airborne zinc at each follow-up time period (p < 0.05). TNF concentrations were statistically correlated with those of IL-6 in BAL supernatant obtained at 22 h (r = 0.78, p = 0.01) and with concentrations of IL-8 in BAL 8 h after exposure (r = 0.85, p = 0.001). IL-6 displayed a significant exposure-response relationship to zinc (p < 0.05) at 22 h. IL-8 exhibited a significant exposure-response relationship to zinc (p < 0.05) at 8 h after exposure, a time at which IL-8 correlated with marked increases in BAL fluid polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) (r = 0.7, p = 0.01). Although we also detected interleukin-1 (IL-1) in BAL samples, this cytokine did not demonstrate a statistically significant exposure response. TNF, IL-6, and IL-8 in BAL fluid supernatant concentrations increased in a time and exposure-dependent fashion after zinc oxide welding fume exposure. The time course of increased cytokines, their correlations with one another and with PMN in the BAL fluid, and the consistency of our findings with the known kinetics and actions of these cytokines support the hypothesis that a network of cytokines is involved in the pathogenesis of metal fume fever.

Cytokines and Particle-Induced Inflammatory Cell Recruitment

“…Similarly, acute exposure of human volunteers to zinc oxide fumes resulted in increased BAL fluid TNF-a concentrations 3 hr after exposure. The increase in TNF-a was followed by increases in BAL fluid IL-8 concentrations 8 hr later (30), a response that was positively correlated with BAL fluid neutrophil numbers. More recently, subchronic inhalation exposure of rats to carbon black particles increased lung expression of chemokines MIP-2 and MCP-1 (a monocyte chemoattractant) (31).…”

Comparing Inhaled Ultrafine versus Fine Zinc Oxide Particles in Healthy Adults

“…Higher concentrations of freshly generated zinc oxide given in previous human inhalation exposure studies can produce symp- tomatic, physiologic, and hematologic effects, as well as elevations in certain peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage cytokines (15)(16)(17). The current U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit for zinc oxide is 5.0 mg/m 3 inspired air, fume or respirable dust, as an 8-hour time-weighed average, over a 40-hour working week (18).…”

Health hazards resulting from exposure to zinc and its inorganic compounds in industry

“…Wyniki badań BAL i krwi obwodowej ochotników narażonych na tlenek cynku wykazały, że zmianom zapalnym w płucach towarzyszy uwalnianie substancji bioaktywnych -mediatorów prozapalnych, w tym interleukiny 6 (IL-6) [16,21,27,28]. Toczy się dyskusja, który z mediatorów odgrywa ważniejszą rolę w patogenezie GM -czynnik martwicy nowotworu (tumor necrosis factor -TNF) [27,30] czy IL-6 [16].…”