Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
Published on: August 25, 2017
Association between occupational exposure and lung function, respiratory symptoms, and high-resolution computed
Nathaniel Marchetti1, Eric Garshick, Gregory L Kinney
11 Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rationale:
Although occupational exposure to dust and fumes is considered a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, this determination has been limited by reliance on spirometry alone to assess disease severity in predominantly male populations.
Objectives:
To determine the effect of occupational exposure on lung function, respiratory symptoms, and findings of emphysema and airway wall thickness measured using quantitative computed tomography in men and women.
Methods:
COPDGene is a multicenter study of current and former smokers that underwent standardized volumetric chest computed tomography scans to assess airways, % emphysema, and % gas trapping. Spirometry and a respiratory questionnaire including occupational history were also analyzed in 9,614 subjects (4,496 women). Logistic regression and analysis of covariance was used to assess associations with exposure.
Measurements And Main Results:
Occupational exposure to both dust and fumes was reported by 47.9% of men and 20.1% of women. Adjusting for age, race, body mass index, education, and current and lifetime smoking, the odds ratios for persons with dust and fume exposures for chronic cough, chronic phlegm, persistent wheeze, and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages 2 and higher chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significantly elevated and similar for men (1.83, 1.84, 2.0, 1.61, respectively) and women (1.65, 1.82, 1.98, 1.90, respectively). The % predicted FEV1 was similarly lower in those with exposure in men (70.7 ± 0.8 vs. 76.0 ± 0.9; P < 0.001) and women (70.5 ± 0.8 vs. 77.2 ± 0.8; P < 0.001). Percent emphysema and gas trapping was greater in those exposed to dust and fumes in men and women. In men, but not in women, persons with exposure had a greater mean square root wall area of 10-mm internal perimeter airways.
Conclusions:
Occupational exposure to dust and fumes in men and women is similarly associated with airflow obstruction, respiratory symptoms, more emphysema, and gas trapping in men and women.
More Related Videos
02:09Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
08:44Author Spotlight: Integrating Alveolar-Capillary Reserve Measurements in Exercise Adaptation and Therapeutic Strategies
Published on: February 2, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...