The effect of chronic carbon monoxide exposure on thecoal-burning heating system workers

In present study, we evaluated relationship of atherosclerosis, carotis intima media thickness, high sensitive C-reactive protein and the obstruction of airway in patients who were exposured to chronic carbon monoxide.Apparently healthy 47 male non-smoker coal-burning heating system workers working in buildings for at least ten years and 48 age matched healthy men were enrolled into the study. We measured the body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, trigliserid, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, carotis intima media thickness, carboxyhemoglobin, high sensitive C-reactive protein, peak expiratory flow velocity and analysed these values by SPSS 13.0.Both groups were found to be similar by age, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, trigliserid, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, carboxyhemoglobin (%4.5±1.5/2.0±1.1) (p<0.001), high sensitive C-reactive protein (3.2±2.1/1.1±0.8 mg/L) (p<0.001) and carotis intima media thickness (1.11±0.32/0.91±0.11 mm) (p<0.001) levels were found to be higher in the study group. Statistical significant correlations were found among carboxyhemoglobin and high sensitive C-reactive protein levels (p<0.001), high sensitive C-reactive protein levels and exposure year (p<0.001), carotis intima media thickness and exposure year (p=0.035) in the study group and between carboxyhemoglobin and high sensitive C-reactive protein levels (p=0.002) in the control group. The decrease of peak expiratory flow velocity found to be more in the study group (mean; 38.2/7.1 L/min).With this study, we come to the conclusion that chronic carbon monoxide exposure increases hs-CRP and carotis intima media thickness in the course of time and lay the groundwork for atherosclerosis and also decreases the expiratory peak flow velocity probably via obstructing the airways.