Browsing by Author "Pelclová, Daniela"

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    Deep Airway Inflammation and Respiratory Disorders in Nanocomposite Workers
    (MDPI, 2019-09-16) Pelclová, Daniela; Ždímal, Vladimír; Komarc, Martin; Vlčková, Štěpánka; Fenclová, Zdenka; Ondráček, Jakub; Schwarz, Jaroslav; Koštejn, Martin; Kačer, Petr; Dvořáčková, Štěpánka; Popov, Alexey; Klusáčková, Pavlína; Zakharov, Sergey; Bello, Dhimiter
    Thousands of researchers and workers worldwide are employed in nanocomposites manufacturing, yet little is known about their respiratory health. Aerosol exposures were characterized using real time and integrated instruments. Aerosol mass concentration ranged from 0.120 mg/m3 to 1.840 mg/m3 during nanocomposite machining processes; median particle number concentration ranged from 4.8 × 104 to 5.4 × 105 particles/cm3 . The proportion of nanoparticles varied by process from 40 to 95%. Twenty employees, working in nanocomposite materials research were examined pre-shift and post-shift using spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in parallel with 21 controls. Pro-inflammatory leukotrienes (LT) type B4, C4, D4, and E4; tumor necrosis factor (TNF); interleukins; and anti-inflammatory lipoxins (LXA4 and LXB4) were analyzed in their exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Chronic bronchitis was present in 20% of researchers, but not in controls. A significant decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) was found in researchers post-shift (p < 0.05). Post-shift EBC samples were higher for TNF (p < 0.001), LTB4 (p < 0.001), and LTE4 (p < 0.01) compared with controls. Nanocomposites production was associated with LTB4 (p < 0.001), LTE4 (p < 0.05), and TNF (p < 0.001), in addition to pre-shift LTD4 and LXB4 (both p < 0.05). Spirometry documented minor, but significant, post-shift lung impairment. TNF and LTB4 were the most robust markers of biological effects. Proper ventilation and respiratory protection are required during nanocomposites processing.
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    Detection and identification of engineered nanoparticles in exhaled breath condensate, blood serum, and urine of occupationally exposed subjects
    (SPRINGER WIEN, SACHSENPLATZ 4-6, PO BOX 89, A-1201 WIEN, AUSTRIA, 2019-03-01) Lischková, Lucie; Pelclová, Daniela; Hlušička, Jiří; Navrátil, Tomáš; Vlčková, Štěpánka; Fenclová, Zdenka; Dvořáčková, Štěpánka; Popov, Alexey; Michalcová, Alena; Marek, Ivo; Marek, Ivo; Mikuška, Pavel; Ždímal, Vladimír; Koštejn, Martin; Ondráček, Jakub; Schwarz, Jaroslav; Zakharov, Sergey
    The use of nanotechnology and the fields of application of nanomaterials are growing vastly, but the negative health effects on the exposed employees are not well studied. The standardized methods of monitoring of occupational exposure are still absent. The task of occupational physicians is to find the ways of evaluation of potential risks of exposure to engineered nanoparticles and to determine the biomarkers for early diagnostics and prevention of occupational diseases. The aim of our study was to detect and identify engineered nanoparticles in biological samples received from occupationally exposed subjects and to evaluate the association of findings with the results of external aerosol measurements on the workplace. The study cohort consisted of two groups of subjects. The first group was exposed to engineered nanoparticles containing mainly iron, manganese, and carbon compounds; the second group was exposed to the nanoparticles containing copper oxide. The post-shift biological samples (urine, blood serum, and exhaled breath condensate) were collected. The analysis was performed by transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The nanoparticles were detected in all the biological samples. The most common identified chemical elements were the biogenic ones (carbon, potassium, chlorine, oxygen), but the nanoparticles containing metals were identified in EBC, blood, and urine as well (gold, silver, copper, lanthanum, cerium, and tantalum). Our results demonstrate the possibility of detection of occupational exposure to the engineered nanoparticles in human biological fluids. Further studies are necessary to compare the pre-shift and post-shift burden of samples with engineered nanoparticles and to determine the magnitude of occupational exposure during the shift.
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    DNA methylation profiles in a group of workers occupationally exposed to nanoparticles
    (MDPI, 2020-04-01) Rossnerová, Andrea; Honková, Kateřina; Pelclová, Daniela; Ždímal, Vladimír; Hubáček, Jaroslav A.; Chvojková, Irena; Vrbová, Kristýna; Rossner, Pavel Jr.; Topinka, Jan; Vlčková, Štěpánka; Fenclová, Zdenka; Lischková, Lucie; Klusáčková, Pavlína; Schwarz, Jaroslav; Ondráček, Jakub; Ondráčková, Lucie; Koštejn, Martin; Klema, Jiří; Dvořáčková, Štěpánka
    The risk of exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) has rapidly increased during the last decade due to the vast use of nanomaterials (NMs) in many areas of human life. Despite this fact, human biomonitoring studies focused on the effect of NP exposure on DNA alterations are still rare. Furthermore, there are virtually no epigenetic data available. In this study, we investigated global and gene-specific DNA methylation profiles in a group of 20 long-term (mean 14.5 years) exposed, nanocomposite, research workers and in 20 controls. Both groups were sampled twice/day (pre-shift and post-shift) in September 2018. We applied Infinium Methylation Assay, using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips with more than 850,000 CpG loci, for identification of the DNA methylation pattern in the studied groups. Aerosol exposure monitoring, including two nanosized fractions, was also performed as proof of acute NP exposure. The obtained array data showed significant differences in methylation between the exposed and control groups related to long-term exposure, specifically 341 CpG loci were hypomethylated and 364 hypermethylated. The most significant CpG differences were mainly detected in genes involved in lipid metabolism, the immune system, lung functions, signaling pathways, cancer development and xenobiotic detoxification. In contrast, short-term acute NP exposure was not accompanied by DNA methylation changes. In summary, long-term (years) exposure to NP is associated with DNA epigenetic alterations.
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    Markers of Oxidative Stress in the Exhaled Breath Condensate of Workers Handling Nanocomposites
    (MDPI, 2019-08-10) Pelclová, Daniela; Ždímal, Vladimír; Schwarz, Jaroslav; Dvořáčková, Štěpánka; Komarc, Martin; Ondráček, Jakub; Koštejn, Martin; Kačer, Petr; Vlčková, Štěpánka; Fenclová, Zdenka; Popov, Alexey; Lischková, Lucie; Zakharov, Sergey; Bello, Dhimiter
    Researchers in nanocomposite processing may inhale a variety of chemical agents, including nanoparticles. This study investigated airway oxidative stress status in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC). Nineteen employees (42.4 ± 11.4 y/o), working in nanocomposites research for 18.0 ± 10.3 years were examined pre-shift and post-shift on a random workday, together with nineteen controls (45.5 ± 11.7 y/o). Panels of oxidative stress biomarkers derived from lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins were analyzed in the EBC. Aerosol exposures were monitored during three major nanoparticle generation operations: smelting and welding (workshop 1) and nanocomposite machining (workshop 2) using a suite of real-time and integrated instruments. Mass concentrations during these operations were 0.120, 1.840, and 0.804 mg/m3 , respectively. Median particle number concentrations were 4.8 × 104 , 1.3 × 105 , and 5.4 × 105 particles/cm3 , respectively. Nanoparticles accounted for 95, 40, and 61%, respectively, with prevailing Fe and Mn. All markers of nucleic acid and protein oxidation, malondialdehyde, and aldehydes C6–C13 were elevated, already in the pre-shift samples relative to controls in both workshops. Significant post-shift elevations were documented in lipid oxidation markers. Significant associations were found between working in nanocomposite synthesis and EBC biomarkers. More research is needed to understand the contribution of nanoparticles from nanocomposite processing in inducing oxidative stress, relative to other co-exposures generated during welding, smelting, and secondary oxidation processes, in these workshops.
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    The repeated cytogenetic analysis of subjects occupationally exposed to nanoparticles: a pilot study
    (NLM (Medline), 2019-01-01) Rossnerová, Andrea; Pelclová, Daniela; Ždímal, Vladimír; Rossner, Pavel; Elzeinová, Fatima; Vrbová, Kristýna; Topinka, Jan; Schwarz, Jaroslav; Ondráček, Jakub; Koštejn, Martin; Komarc, Martin; Vlčková, Štěpánka; Fenclová, Zdenka; Dvořáčková, Štěpánka
    The application of nanomaterials has been rapidly increasing during recent years. Inhalation exposure to nanoparticles (NP) may result in negative toxic effects but there is a critical lack of human studies, especially those related to possible DNA alterations. We analyzed pre-shift and post-shift a group of nanocomposite researchers with a long-term working background (17.8 ± 10.0 years) and matched controls. The study group consisted of 73.2% males and 26.8% females. Aerosol exposure monitoring during a working shift (involving welding, smelting, machining) to assess the differences in exposure to particulate matter (PM) including nanosized fractions <25-100 nm, and their chemical analysis, was carried out. A micronucleus assay using Human Pan Centromeric probes, was applied to distinguish between the frequency of centromere positive (CEN+) and centromere negative (CEN-) micronuclei (MN) in the binucleated cells. This approach allowed recognition of the types of chromosomal damage: losses and breaks. The monitoring data revealed differences in the exposure to NP related to individual working processes, and in the chemical composition of nanofraction. The cytogenetic results of this pilot study demonstrated a lack of effect of long-term (years) exposure to NP (total frequency of MN, P = 0.743), although this exposure may be responsible for DNA damage pattern changes (12% increase of chromosomal breaks-clastogenic effect). Moreover, short-term (daily shift) exposure could be a reason for the increase of chromosomal breaks in a subgroup of researchers involved in welding and smelting processes (clastogenic effect, P = 0.037). The gender and/or gender ratio of the study participants was also an important factor for the interpretation of the results. As this type of human study is unique, further research is needed to understand the effects of long-term and short-term exposure to NP.