Abstract

Fluoride has been in focus as a possible causal agent for respiratory symptoms amongst aluminium potroom workers for several decades. Previously, using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), we demonstrated airway inflammation in healthy volunteers 24 hours after exposure to hydrogen fluoride (HF). The objective of the present study was to examine early lung responses to HF exposure. Bronchoscopy with BAL was performed 2 hours after the end of 1-hour exposure to HF. Significant reductions in the total cell number and the number of neutrophils and lymphocytes were observed in bronchoalveolar portion (BAP), whereas there were no significant changes in the bronchial portion (BP). Significantly decreased concentrations of beta2-MG, IL-6 and total protein were found in both BAP and BP. Additionally, IL-8 was significantly reduced in BP, and ICAM-1 and albumin were present in lower concentrations in BAP. Lung function measurements were not affected by HF exposure. These reported effects are presumably transitory, as many were not present in the airways 24 hours after a similar HF exposure.

• Related Studies :

  • The effect of antioxidative vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q on the morphological picture of the lungs and pancreata of rats intoxicated with sodium fluoride

    Fluorides, when taken in amounts exceeding the standard therapeutic dosage, are regarded as toxic substances. Recent studies show that fluorides may affect the oxidoreductive processes of cells. The aim of the following study is to investigate the effect of antioxidative vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q on the morphological

  • Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards.

    Excerpts: Summary Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to establish exposure standards for contaminants in public drinking-water systems that might cause any adverse effects on human health. These standards include the maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG), the maximum contaminant level (MCL), and the secondary

  • Inflammatory responses of rat alveolar macrophages following exposure to fluoride

    Inhalation exposure to fluoride compounds has been associated with respiratory failure. We have addressed effects of fluoride on alveolar macrophages and lung responses to intratracheally (i.t.) instilled fluoride in rats. I.t. instillation of fluoride at doses of 200 and 400 microg F/rat caused significant polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration in the

  • Increased CD3 positive cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after hydrogen fluoride inhalation

    OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether experimental hydrogen fluoride exposure for 1 hour induces an inflammatory response in the lower respiratory tract that is detectable in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. METHODS: Nineteen healthy, nonsmoking men were exposed for 1 hour to constant low (<0.6 mg/m3), intermediate (0.7-2.4 mg/m3), or high (2.5-5.2 mg/m3) concentrations

  • Bronchial responsiveness, eosinophilia, and short term exposure to air pollution

    The number of capillary blood eosinophils and the prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) were compared between schoolchildren living in a polluted area (Ardal) and unpolluted area (Laerdal). In Ardal there is an aluminium smelter emitting sulphur dioxide and fluoride to the environment. Daily measurements of these pollutants in ambient air

• Related FAN Content :

  • Does Fluoride Ingestion Affect Developing Immune System Cells?

    Considerations, supported by some published experimental evidence, suggest that fluoride released during the resorption of high-fluoride bone may produce detrimental effects not only on bone cells but on developing cells of the immune system.

  • Fluoride Enhances Toxicity of Beryllium

    Occupational exposure to beryllium is well-documented to put workers' health at risk. The two principal targets of beryllium poisoning are the respiratory system and the skin. Of all beryllium compounds, beryllium fluoride complexes (including beryllium fluoride and beryllium oxyfluoride) appear to be the most toxic. As shown below, studies dating back

  • Fluoride & the Immune System - Summation from the US National Research Council (2006)

    “There is no question that fluoride can affect the cells involved in providing immune responses. The question is what proportion, if any, of the population consuming drinking water containing fluoride at 4.0 mg/L on a regular basis will have their immune systems compromised? Not a single epidemiologic study has investigated whether fluoride in the drinking water at 4 mg/L is associated with changes in immune function. Nor has any study examined whether a person with an immunodeficiency disease can tolerate fluoride ingestion from drinking water.”

  • Is the Ingestion of Fluoride an Immunosuppressive Practice?

    This paper records several observations which suggest that habitual ingestion of small doses of fluoride, even as small as the 1 mg/L contained in fluoridated water, may decrease the function of the immune system.

  • Respiratory Risks from Occupational Fluoride Exposure

    Starting in the 1930s, scientists have observed that workers exposed to airborne fluorides suffer from an elevated rate of respiratory disorders. For over 50 years, however, US government and industry scientists made repeated assurances that the allowable level of fluoride dusts and gases in industrial workplaces would not cause any