Occupational Risk and Autoimmunity

Posted by Elaine Moore Oct 5, 2007

In 2001, Stephen Walsh from the University of Connecticut published a report in the Journal of Rheumatology showing that secondary school teachers were 10 to 15 percent more likely to die from an autoimmune disease, and 35 to 44 year old teachers had a 50 percent increased risk.

Farmers, Teachers, and Nurses

A related study published in the October 2007 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism examined the possible associations between occupation and autoimmune disease mortality risk. Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA found that occupational exposures in farming and industry may also be linked to higher death rates from systemic autoimmune diseases. The report shows that the risk of dying from systemic autoimmune diseases is increased approximately 30 percent in secondary school teachers and crop farmers but not livestock farmers. This risk was not seen in teachers’ aides, bookkeepers, or waitresses. Systemic autoimmune diseases are diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and other connective tissue diseases affecting multiple organs and bodily systems.

Bank tellers, special education teachers, nurses and mining machine operators also showed an increased mortality risk from autoimmune diseases. In addition, several industrial occupations such as mining and textile machine operators, and timber cutting and logging had an increased risk. Although their overall mortality risk from autoimmune disease was not increased, firefighters were shown to have twice the risk of dying from scleroderma.

Age and Sex

Younger age, female gender, and being African-American were all associated with a greater risk of dying of lupus, whereas white race and male sex were associated with a greater likelihood of dying from rheumatoid arthritis.

Resources:

SaLynn Boyles, Occupation, Autoimmune Deaths Explored, WebMD News, Sept 28, 2007.

Research Shows Autoimmune Disease More Frequent Among Teachers, Advance for Medical Professionals, November 12, 2001.