The importance of occupational and environmental physicians in elucidating the environmental and occupational exposures in sarcoidosis patients.

Abstract

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory, multisystemic disease of mostly unknown or limited known etiology. Blanc et al. have found an overall occupational attribution of 30%. Our study aimed to evaluate occupational-environmental exposures that may be related to sarcoidosis relationship between clinical findings.

Materials and methods: According to the calculated sample size, we analyzed 216 patients with sarcoidosis. Laboratory and radiologic findings were recorded, and occupational-environmental histories were taken by occupational and environmental physicians.

Result: Occupational exposures included organic dust in 22.7%, textile dust in 13.95%, mold in 7.9%, metal dust in 6.9%, and silica in 6%, household mold exposure was found in 39.4%, and bird feeding history was found in 29.6%. Manufacturing (35%) and agriculture (16%) were the most common industries. The exposures were not associated with clinical indicators. For each sarcoidosis stage, the proportion of those who had never been exposed to organic dust was significantly higher than the proportion with any exposure although the frequency of exposure was higher in the early stages. Thirty patients had extrapulmonary organ involvement, and no relationship was found between occupational and environmental factors and extrapulmonary involvement.

Conclusions: This is the first study investigating factors that may be associated with sarcoidosis together with history taken by occupational and environmental medicine physicians. Birds and mold exposure were found to be high. Exposure to organic dust, metal, silica, and textile dust was noteworthy.