Relationship between concealment of emotions at work and musculoskeletal symptoms: results from the third Korean working conditions survey.

In this study, we explored the relationship between concealing emotions at work and musculoskeletal symptoms in Korean workers using data from a national, population-based survey. Data were obtained from the third Korean Working Conditions Survey in 2011. We investigated the prevalence of three musculoskeletal symptoms ("back pain", "pain in the upper extremities", and "pain in the lower extremities"). Multiple logistic regression analysis was also performed to determine odds ratios (ORs) for musculoskeletal symptoms according to concealing emotions at work, adjusting for socioeconomic factors. In both sexes, the emotion-concealing group showed a significantly higher prevalence of "pain in the upper extremities" and "pain in the lower extremities" than the non-emotion-concealing group. For back pain, male-but not female-workers who concealed their emotions showed a higher prevalence than their non-emotion-concealing counterparts; the difference was statistically significant. Adjusted ORs for musculoskeletal symptoms (excluding "back pain" for female workers) in the emotion-concealing group were significantly higher. Our study suggests that concealment of emotions is closely associated with musculoskeletal symptoms, and the work environment should operate in consideration not only of the physical health work condition of workers but also of their emotional efforts including concealing emotion at work.

A case of fitness to work in a worker with COPD using the exercise stress test.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation. Therefore, both work ability and workday length may be affected in individuals with this disease. We studied a worker with suspected COPD and assessed fitness to work using post-bronchodilator spirometry, symptom assessment scales, and the exercise stress test. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 58-year-old man due to work as a field supervisor in the ship construction sector. He had a 40 pack-year smoking history and experienced occasional dyspnea when climbing stairs. He visited this hospital to receive cardiopulmonary function tests and to determine his ability to work. Post-bronchodilator spirometry revealed severe irreversible airway obstruction corresponding to a modified Medical Research Council grade of 2 on the dyspnea scale. His COPD Assessment Test score was 12, placing him in patient group D (high risk, more symptoms) based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease classification system. His maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was determined to be 19.16 ml/kg/min, as measured by the exercise stress test, and his acceptable workload for 8 h of physical work was calculated to be 6.51 ml/kg/min. His work tasks required an oxygen demand of 6.89 ml/kg/min, which exceeded the acceptable workload calculated. Accordingly, he was advised to adjust the work tasks that were deemed inappropriate for his exercise capacity. CONCLUSION: As COPD incidence is expected to rise, early COPD diagnosis and determination of fitness to work is becoming increasingly important. Performing the exercise stress test, to evaluate the functional capacity of workers with COPD, is considered an acceptable solution.

Increased expression of antioxidant enzymes in radioresistant variant from U251 human glioblastoma cell line.

Glioblastoma is one of the most radioresistant tumors. Exposure of cells to ionizing radiation leads to formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are associated with radiation-induced cytotoxicity. ROS scavengers, therefore, are one of the important factors in protecting cells against ROS injury during ionizing radiation exposure. In the present study, we isolated and established a radioresistant variant clone (RRC) from U251 human glioblastoma cell line and investigated the potential role of antioxidant enzymes in radioresistance of the glioblastoma cell line. RRC showed a higher radioresistance than the parent cell line as measured by clonogenic survival assay and showed delayed G2/M arrest. Antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), were activated up to 5-fold in RRC compared to the parent cells after radiation. In addition, RRC also had cross-resistance to the antitumor agent cisplatin. Therefore, radioresistance and cross-resistance to chemotherapeutic agent in RRC might be due to the highly coordinated activation of antioxidant enzymes rather than a single enzyme alone.