The method of biological monitoring of the exposure to organic solvents by means of urinalysis is discussed. The topics include the variety of the solvents to which the method of monitoring is applicable, choice of time for urine sampling, possible correction of the results for urine density, and establishment of the biological threshold. Recent progress is reviewed in particular, in the cases of benzene, toluene, xylenes, styrene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene and 1, 1, 1trichloroethane.

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Gregg, N.M.の卓見により風疹罹患妊婦に先天異常児出生の危険性が指摘されて以来,先天性風疹症候群(CRS)に関する知見は数多く蓄積されている.若年既婚女性の多い職場で風疹の流行をみた場合,CRS発生の可能性が予測されるにもかかわらず,産業医学あるいは健康管理の場において,本疾患は比較的重視されていないように思われる.著者らの関係している企業は,女性の全従業者に占める割合は50%以上に及び,さらにその90%以上は20歳台の若年者である.昭和50年以降十数年ぶりにわが国でみられた風疹の大流行に際し,著者らは上記企業の健康管理活動の一部として,女子事務作業者の風疹HI抗体保有状況を調査し,また,風疹ワクチンによる免疫賦与を試み,下記の成績を得た. 1)昭和50年から53年にかけて,京浜葉地区および大阪地区に勤務する女子事務作業者総数965名の風疹HI抗体価を測定した結果,風疹抗体陰性率は京浜葉地区で約24%(51年調査)大阪地区では約40%(51年33%,52年44%,53年43%)にも及び,風疹の流行を経過した後も抗体陰性者はかなり多いことが明らかとなった. 2)被検者の風疹罹患状況を抗体測定後1年間にわたり追跡調査した結果,通常免疫保有者と考えられている抗体価8倍の者にも風疹罹患がみられた.したがって, HI抗体価8倍は抗体陰性あるいは疑陽性と考えて,風疹ワクチン接種対象者に加えることが望ましい. 3)昭和52年大阪地区において,抗体陰性者のうち希望者42名に弱毒生風疹ワクチンを接種し,約1年後にHI抗体価を再度測定したところ, 41名に抗体価の上昇を認めたが,1名は8倍以下であった.その原因は明らかではないが,このように稀にワクチン接種後も十分な免疫が得られない場合も考えられるため,ワクチン接種をうけた後でも,妊娠時に風疹の流行をみた場合,あるいは風疹患者と接触する機会のあった場合は,再度HI抗体価を測定して感染の有無をたしかめることか望ましい.

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Cold water immersion tests on the patients suffering from the vibration disease have been carried out without paying any attention to seasons. In studying cold water immersion test, a method is generally used of measuring the finger tip skin temperature (Ts) by immersing one hand up to the wrist in the cold water at 5°C, 10°C and 15°C for ten minutes. It is well-known that there is a seasonal variation in Ts by immersing the middle finger in the ice water at 0°C. It is not yet defined, however, whether there is a seasonal variation of Ts when the immersion tests on the patients suffering from the vibration disease have been carried out by the method mentioned above. Therefore, the seasonal variation of Ts immersed in the cold water was studied by exactly the same method stated above. In order to study the seasonal variation four months were chosen, i.e. August (summer), October (fall), February (winter) and May (spring). Six male persons were the subjects of the investigation. The results obtained might be summarized as follows: A. Ts before immersion 1) Ts before immersion was at the highest in summer and at the lowest in winter, and was closely related to the outdoor temperature. 2) Ts in fall and in spring showed some difference between them in spite of the outdoor temperatures which were almost the same. 3) Namely, Ts in fall which was lower than Ts in spring was rather similar to Ts in winter, where as Ts in spring was similar to Ts in summer. B. Ts during immersion and recovery The same tendency described above was recognized in Ts during and after the immersion. That is to say, the difference in Ts between fall or winter and summer or spring is as follows: 1) The degree of the drop in Ts immediately after the start of the immersion was greater in summer and spring than that in fall and winter. 2) The mean of the finger tip skin temperatures of the immersed finger was higher in summer and spring than that in fall and winter. 3) The lowest Ts during immersion was higher in summer and spring than that in fall and winter and the time taken to show the lowest Ts was shorter, compared with that in fall and winter. 4) The frequency of the appearance of cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) was higher in summer and spring than that in fall and winter. 5) Recovery of Ts after immersion in summer and spring was more speedy than that in fall and winter. 6) The higher the water temperature, the lower was the frequency of appearance of CIVD and the slower was the recovery of Ts after immersion. Furthermore, the seasonal variations were clearly showen. In addition, cold pains during immersion were felt more strongly in summer and spring than in fall and winter. When the variation in the water temperature is considered, cold pains were felt more strongly the lower the water temperature. Therefore, enough consideration should be given to the variation of seasons and the water temperature in studying the function of the peripheral circulation through the one hand immersion method in the cold water.

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In 1971 and 1973, Yoshida, et al. reported a higher relative risk of urinary bladder cancer among the workers of dyeing factories in Kyoto city. In order to confirm thjs, death certificates in Kyoto city from 1969 to 1972 were retrospectively investigated. Kyoto city was devided into three areas, that is, areas with high, medium and low clusterings of dyeing factories, and the differences of the mortality rates of a11 causes of deaths among these three areas were examined. As a result of this study, a statistically significant difference of the mortality rate of bladder cancer could not be found for males. But, the relative risk of bladder cancer in the areas with high and medium clusterings of dyeing factories compared to the area with low was found to be l.45. Therefore, the reIationship between dyeing work and bladder cancer could not necessarily be denied. It is, thus, necessary to carry out a prospective study, by which a more precise result can be obtained. In addition, our study revealed a significantly high mortality rate of skin cancer among the areas with high and medium clusterings of dyeing factories for males, observing a relative risk of 3.88. The observed association between skin cancer and dyeing work should be further studied.

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