Abstract
Aim: Previous studies of the association of exposure in the workplace with sarcoidosis were inconsistent. The aim of this analysis was to verify occupational risk factors of sarcoidosis using case-control design and a detailed questionnaire of ever-exposure. Materials and Methods: 93 patients (median age 46, interquartile range 36-58.5 years) with biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis, enrolled in Russian Federation and Republics of Belarus and Kazakhstan were age- and sex-matched with 93 population controls. Detailed 24-item questionnaire on various groups of ever-exposure along with their duration was used to ascertain occupation history. We used logistic regression to test the association of all included occupational predictors with sarcoidosis and report the association with odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: In a regression model adjusted for smoking, work duration, education and marital status, exposure to welding fumes (OR 4.64 (95% CI 1.04-20.70)), exposure to car exhausts, including work in a workshop (OR 3.50 (95% CI 1.28-9.52)) and exposure to lubricant oils (OR 3.22 (95% CI 1.02-10.20)) were significantly associated with sarcoidosis. The remaining 21 groups of exposure were not found to have significant associations with sarcoidosis, although smoking and education were significant predictors in most models. Conclusions: Selected occupational exposures may elevate the risk of sarcoidosis, and the range of such workplaces with be further elucidated in this ongoing multicenter study in three countries.