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The Association Between Occupational Exposure to Silica and Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fereshteh Mehri, Ensiyeh Jenabi, Saeed Bashirian, Farshid Ghorbani Shahna, Salman Khazaei
Image from “New OSHA Regulations On Concrete Silica Dust Exposure Rule”, EHS Safety News America, last modified Aug 9, 2017, accessed Jul 8, 2020, https://ehssafetynewsamerica.com/2017/08/09/new-osha-regulations-on-concrete-silica-dust-exposure-rule-silica-construction/
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with systemic inflammatory arthritis. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the association between occupational exposure to silica and the risk of developing RA among different workers.
Methods: In this meta-analysis, we searched relevant published studies using major electronic databases including Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar search engine up to October 2019, and the references of retrieved articles were also checked for further possible sources. A random-effects model was used to account for heterogeneity among the results of the studies using the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Q-statistic and I2 tests were calculated to assess heterogeneity between the studies.
Results: The pooled calculation of OR indicated a significant association between occupational exposure to silica and risk of developing RA among different workers (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.73 to 3.45). In addition, the pooled estimates of OR in smokers were statistically significant (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.13 to 3.86).
Conclusions: The findings of the present study reveal that occupational exposure to silica may be associated with increased risk of developing RA.
This article is a trending article in the field of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The abstract above was written by the author(s) below. This study was conducted by the author(s) below and published in the journal or book below.
Authors: Fereshteh Mehri, Ensiyeh Jenabi, Saeed Bashirian, Farshid Ghorbani Shahna, Salman Khazaei
Journal: Safety and Health at Work
Link 1: this article @ Pubmed
Link 2: this article @ [Full Text] Science Direct