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. 2016 Aug;150(2):289-98.
doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.01.020. Epub 2016 Jan 30.

Association Between Occupational Exposures and Sarcoidosis: An Analysis From Death Certificates in the United States, 1988-1999

Hongbo Liu  1 , Divya Patel  2 , Alison M Welch  3 , Carla Wilson  4 , Margaret M Mroz  3 , Li Li  5 , Cecile S Rose  6 , Michael Van Dyke  7 , Jeffrey J Swigris  8 , Nabeel Hamzeh  5 , Lisa A Maier  9
Affiliations

Association Between Occupational Exposures and Sarcoidosis: An Analysis From Death Certificates in the United States, 1988-1999

Hongbo Liu et al. Chest. 2016 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Sarcoidosis is a disease that is associated with occupational and environmental antigens, in the setting of a susceptible host. The aim of this study was to examine the association between sarcoidosis mortality and previously reported occupational exposures based on sex and race.

Methods: The decedents enrolled in this study were derived from United States death certificates from 1988-1999. Cause of death was coded according to ICD-9 and ICD-10. The usual occupation was coded with Bureau of the Census Occupation Codes. Mortality odds ratio (MOR) were determined and multiple Poisson regression were performed to evaluate the independent exposure effects after adjustment for age, sex, race and other occupational exposures.

Results: Of the 7,118,535 decedents in our study, 3,393 were identified as sarcoidosis-related, including 1,579 identified as sarcoidosis being the underlying cause of death. The sarcoidosis-related MOR of any occupational exposure was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.35-1.71). Women with any exposure demonstrated an increased MOR compared to women without (MOR 1.65, 95% CI, 1.45-1.89). The mortality risk was significantly elevated in those with employment involving metal working, health care, teaching, sales, banking, and administration. Higher sarcoidosis-related mortality risks associated with specific exposures were noted in women vs men and blacks vs whites.

Conclusions: Findings of prior occupations and risk of sarcoidosis were verified using sarcoidosis mortality rates. There were significant differences in risk for sarcoidosis mortality by occupational exposures based on sex and race.

Keywords: mortality; mortality OR; occupational exposure; sarcoidosis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A–B, Distribution of different occupational exposures according to sex (A) and race (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Severe Sarcoidosis Phenotypes: An Occupational Hazard?
    Crouser ED, Amin EN. Crouser ED, et al. Chest. 2016 Aug;150(2):263-5. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.02.663. Chest. 2016. PMID: 27502975 No abstract available.
  • Occupational Causation of Sarcoidosis.
    Reich JM. Reich JM. Chest. 2016 Dec;150(6):1422-1423. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.09.039. Chest. 2016. PMID: 27938763 No abstract available.
  • Response.
    Maier LA, Liu H, Patel D, Welch A, Wilson C, Mroz M, Li L, Rose C, VanDyke M, Swigris J, Hamzeh N. Maier LA, et al. Chest. 2016 Dec;150(6):1423-1424. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.10.004. Chest. 2016. PMID: 27938764 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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