Is Dupuytren's disease an occupational illness?

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence for the risk of Dupuytren's disease (DD) from occupational exposure. For workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibrations (HTVs) and heavy manual work (HMW) who develop the disease, the inclusion of DD in hand-arm vibration syndrome and diseases of skeletal muscle overload could be beneficial for compensation purposes. AIMS: To assess the risk of DD in workers exposed to HTVs and HMW, and to evaluate the length of exposure times that may significantly affect the development of DD. METHODS: This study included male workers in Kosice, Slovak Republic. Participants were divided into three groups: those exposed to HTVs, those exposed to HMW and controls. We evaluated the association between DD and HTVs, HMW, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, epilepsy, smoking and alcohol consumption for all groups. We also compared the length of exposure time to HTV and HMW between workers with and without DD. RESULTS: The sample was comprised of 515 men, with 13% suffering from DD. Significant associations were found between DD and HTVs (OR 4.59 [95% CI 2.05-10.32]) and HMV (OR 3.10 [95% CI 1.21-7.91]). Highly significant associations were found between DD and older ages and alcohol consumption as well. No associations were found for the other variables. Exposure times greater than 15 years significantly increased the risk for DD (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms a significant association between DD and both HTVs and HMW after long exposures. We suggest that DD should be considered as an occupational disease.

Concentrations of selected heavy metals in bones and femoral bone structure of bank (Myodes glareolus) and common (Microtus arvalis) voles from different polluted biotopes in Slovakia.

Concentrations of selected heavy metals in the femora and femoral bone structure of bank (Myodes glareolus) and common (Microtus arvalis) voles from different polluted biotopes in Slovakia (Kolínany and Nováky sites) were investigated. Length, weight, and histological structure of vole bones were also analyzed. We observed higher concentrations of lead (Pb), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the bones of both species from the Kolínany site. Significant differences were observed in the concentration of Fe in bank and common voles (p<0.05) and in the concentration of Zn (p<0.05) in common voles. The animals from Nováky had higher concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) in their bones; however, the differences were not significant. The measured values for bone length and weight were higher in both species from Nováky (p<0.05). We did not identify differences in qualitative histological characteristics of the femora between the voles (M. glareolus and M. arvalis separately) between the two biotopes. In addition, no statistically significant differences for any the measured variables of primary osteons' vascular canals were observed. Correlation analysis in M. glareolus showed a strong positive relation between Cd and Ni (r=0.52), Pb and bone weight (r=0.53), Fe and bone weight (r=0.52), and Fe and perimeter size of primary osteons' vascular canals (r=0.55). In common voles, a strong positive relation was found between Fe and Cu (r=0.60) and between Fe and perimeter size of vascular canals of primary osteons (r=0.55). Our results indicate that accumulation of some heavy metals is slightly increased in the femora of both species at Kolínany.