Depending of the exposure to organic solvent with sympatethic skin response and R-R interval variability

Although toxic effects of long term exposure to low dosage organic solvent on thenerve system has been identified, there are limited number of publications regarding itseffects on OSS.It is not clearly known what kind of pathophysiological mechanisms resultin OSS dysfunction. Our goal in this study is to study whether OSS functions of workersexposed to solvent are affected or not and to evaluate sympathetic and parasympatheticcomponents of OSS while considering SDY and RRIV tests using electromyography at thesame time.This study was conducted in Neurophysiology laboratory of Neurology Clinic inFaculty of Medicine in İnönüUniversity between December 2011 and February 2012. 33male workers, who have been working in shoe manufacturing in Maltya for a period longerthan 5 years, and 33 healthy males participated in the study. Standard questionnaireincluding symptoms corresponding to autonomic function disorder was presented to theexposed group, their blood biochemistry tests including blood count, liver and kidneyfunction tests and blood electrolyte levels were controlled and ENG was completed. SDYand RRIV variability from stand point of autonomic involvement were tested in EMGlaboratory for both groups.SDY latency values were long and amplitude values were small in the exposedgroup compared to the control group. Parameters corresponding to RRIV variability wereidentified to be low in the exposed group compared to the control group. ENG values werenormal in the exposed group and no PNP was identified in any of the workers. It was notpossible to identify a relationship between autonomic symptoms and SDY and RRIVvalues. Although no significant difference between parameters corresponding to SDY andRRIV variability was identified when parameters related to smoker and non smokerworkers were compared, it was observed that %D-%R and %D/%R values were highamong smokers in the control group.This study showed that function disorders in sympathetic and parasympatheticcomponents of OSS may be present in those workers, who have been exposed to solvent fora long time and who do not display any polyneuropathy electrophysiologically,independent of existence of autonomic symptoms. This study made us believe that solventsmay be affecting central centers as subclinics in charge of OSS.