Introduction. In the period from 2013 to 2021, industrial enterprises saw a reduction in jobs that did not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements for the level of exposure to noise, vibration, illumination, microclimate parameters and electromagnetic fields on the workers' bodies. However, the proportion of unfavorable workplaces that do not meet the standards for noise levels remains the largest, which determines the peculiarities of the structure of the occupational pathology of workers in the Russian Federation: professional pathology of the hearing organ — professional sensorineural hearing loss — remains in the first place. The transport industry is among the sectors of the economy with the most significant indicators of occupational diseases exceeding the average Russian indicator.

The study aims to analyze additional causes of pathogenetic significance in the development of professional hearing loss using the example of employees of the driving professions of railway transport and flight professions of civil aviation aircraft.

Materials and methods. We have analyzed the state of the auditory function in members of locomotive crews of JSC Russian Railways for 2017–2021 according to the Territorial Administration of Rospotrebnadzor for Railway Transport and persons of flight professions of civil aviation aircraft of the Russian Federation for 2010–2020 according to the data of the Federal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Results. Professional sensorineural hearing loss prevails in the structure of occupational morbidity of railway and aviation transport workers. Despite the absence of excess in-cabin noise levels, the leading professional group for hearing loss in railway transport are locomotive drivers and assistants, in civil aviation — aircraft commanders and co-pilots. The complexity of the professional activities of persons of these professions, a high degree of responsibility for the safety of transportation of passengers and cargo, readiness to act in non-standard conditions, loads on visual and auditory analyzers, create a high degree of labor intensity that causes chronic stress. The factor of chronic stress causes a violation of adaptive mechanisms and causes a number of complex neuro-reflex and neurohumoral shifts in the body, as a result of which labor intensity need to consider as a pathogenetically significant factor in the development of professional sensorineural hearing loss.

Conclusions. Chronic sensorineural hearing loss is a priority occupational disease in persons of driving and flying professions, it is registered even in persons working in conditions of regulatory levels of industrial noise and a high degree of labor intensity. It is necessary to discuss the possibility of including labor intensity indicators as an additional etiological, pathogenetically significant factor in the expert criteria for establishing the connection of hearing loss with professional activity.

Contribution:
Pankova V.B. — formulation of the purpose of the study, analysis of the material on railway transport, writing the text of the article, editing;
Vilk M.F. — analysis of material on railway transport, editing;
Zibarev E.V. — analysis of the material on civil aviation, participation in writing the text of the article; editing;
Fedina I.N. — review of publications on the topic of the article, design of the text of the article, figures, tables, references.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: 12.08.2022 / Accepted: 15.09.2022 / Published: 28.09.2022

Introduction. According to genetic factors, it is possible to determine the degree of manifestation of the toxic effects of mercury. The latter justifies the assessment of the genetic status of the exposed contingent in order to identify hypersensitive individuals in whom adverse health effects can be realized when exposed to relatively low levels of the toxicant.

The study aims to research the distribution of genotypes of some polymorphic variants of genes of the xenobiotic biotransformation system, heat shock proteins and tumor necrosis factor in the contingent involved in liquidation measures, as well as to identify individuals with a high prognostic risk of toxic effects due to exposure to mercury.

Materials and methods. We conducted genotyping of 231 people (men only): 193 employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) of Russia in the Irkutsk Region and 38 employees of the Federal Environmental Operator (FEO) involved in the elimination of mercury pollution at the industrial site of the mercury electrolysis plant and adjacent facilities on the territory of a former chemical plant in Eastern Siberia. The researchers used real-time PCR and PCR-RFLP methods to study polymorphic variants of the genes CYP1A1 (rs1048943), GSTP1 (rs1695 and rs1138272), TNF-α (rs1800629) and HSPA1B (rs1061581).

Results. For the polymorphism of the GSTP1 gene (rs1695), we have identified an increase in the frequency of AG genotypes (p=0.043) and a decrease in the frequency of GG genotypes (p=0.048) in employees of the MES compared to those from the FEO group. The researchers didn’t detect carriers of the TT genotype for the polymorphic locus GSTP1 (rs1138272) in both examined groups. There was the carriage of the rare GG-CYP1A1 homozygote only in one MES employee. We found that 33 MES employees and 3 examined from the FEO group who are carriers of the GG-HSPA1B (+1267A/G) genotype have a high predictive risk of developing toxic effects due to mercury exposure. The experts discussed the data obtained with the results of genotyping of former mercury electrolysis shop workers who were chronically exposed to metallic mercury vapor. The experts have reviewed the data obtained from the results of genotyping of former employees of the mercury electrolysis shop who were chronically exposed to metallic mercury vapor

Limitations. The limitations, first of all, should include the number of examined individuals in the FEO group, as well as the lack of data on deletion polymorphisms of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes, potentially having a significant role in the toxicokinetics of mercury.

Conclusion. The study has revealed 36 carriers of the GG genotype of the polymorphic locus +1267A/G of the HSPA1B gene associated with a high prognostic risk of toxic effects associated with exposure to mercury among the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) and the FEO involved in liquidation work. Taking into account the forthcoming volume and duration of work related to the demercurization of the territory of the former factory with mercury electrolysis technology and the surrounding area it is advisable to take into account the results obtained when monitoring the health status of the liquidators.

Ethics. We have received voluntary informed consent, approved by the Committee on Biomedical Ethics (Protocol No. 6 of 10.03.2020), from each employee being examined.

Contribution:
Chernyak Yu.I. — concept, research design, final data processing, text writing and editing;
Merinova A.P. — collection of samples, implementation of techniques and data processing.

Acknowledgment. The authors express their gratitude to the staff of the Institute's clinic for organizing the examination and forming groups, as well as to Professor RAS, Dr. of Sci. (Med.), Prof. O.L. Lakhman for useful comments when discussing the manuscript.

Funding. The study was supported within a framework of State Assignment for exploratory scientific studies for East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research (No. АААА-А20-120100190008-8).

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Received: 26.07.2022 / Accepted: 15.09.2022 / Published: 28.09.2022

Introduction. In the course of the work the scientists have conducted an analysis of comorbid pathology was carried out in patients with occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OCOPD) who underwent inpatient examination at the Clinic of the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene of Rospotrebnadzor.

The study aims to research the frequency and nature of comorbid pathology in patients with OCOPD who underwent inpatient examination at the Clinic of the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene of Rospotrebnadzor.

Materials and methods. In the course of the work we have conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical histories of patients with occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were examined and treated at the Clinic of Occupational Pathology. Researchers have carried out the analysis of the histories using the regional register of occupational diseases of Novosibirsk and the Novosibirsk Region created by the staff of the Research Institute of Hygiene and the permanent regional register of Occupational Diseases.

Results. The study made it possible to determine the structure of comorbid pathology of patients with occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were examined and treated at the Сlinic of Occupational Pathology and School-related Diseases of the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene of Rospotrebnadzor.

Conclusion. Comorbid pathology affects the severity of the patient's condition with OCOPD. We have made conclusions about the need for early diagnosis of occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its comorbid conditions, an individualized approach to each patient for effective rehabilitation.

Ethics. The material of the article was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Novosibirsk Scientific Research Institute of Hygiene of Rospotrebnadzor (Protocol No. 3 of June 16, 2022).

Contribution:
Ivashchenko I.E. — the concept and design of the study, data collection and processing, text writing, editing;
Kuzmenko M.A. — the concept and design of the study, text writing, editing;
Popova V.V. — the concept and design of the study, data collection and processing, editing;
Alexandrova I.V. — text writing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: 14.07.2022 / Accepted: 09.09.2022 / Published: 28.09.2022

Introduction. For the purpose of studying the psychovegetative state, predictors of hypertension and the risk of its development, including in the age aspect, we have examined sixty underground workers of a chromium ore mining enterprise (the main group), whose working conditions belong to the classes 3.3–3.4. Scientists divided the main group into two subgroups: <45 years (n=20, age 38.45±2.95 years), and >45 years (n=40, age 50.90±1.46 years). The comparison group consists of 49 ground workers whose working conditions belong to the class 3.2. We formed two subgroups from the comparison group: 23 employees aged 38.0±2.8 years, (comparison group <45 years); and 26 employees aged 49.2±2.1 years, (comparison group >45 years).

The study aims to research and substantiate the predictors of the development of hypertension of underground workers, depending on age and psychovegetative status.

Materials and methods. Experts have investigated the state of the cardiovascular system  by clinical, functional and laboratory diagnostics. We have investigated the psychovegetative status with an assessment of the level of neuropsychiatric tension, anxiety, attention, subjective reflection of psychovegetative distress.

Results. Experts have identified the decreased attention (OR 7.50; 95% CI — 2.39–23.58), increased personal anxiety (OR 11.06 95% CI — 4.35–28.10) and an increase in the number of psychovegetative complaints (OR 22.50; 95% CI — 7.09–71.41) in the patient group with arterial hypertension syndrome. We identified the identified predictors of arterial hypertension in the analysis of ROC in the psychosomatic module: age >44 years, experience >15 years, number of psychovegetative complaints >1, increased serum uric acid >298 μmol/l, pulse pressure >41 mm Hg.st. The module confirms the inversion of psychovegetative adaptation into psychosomatic disorders with an increased risk of hypertension with increasing age.

Limitations. The data obtained are specific to a specific group of miners, the methodological approach of this study can be used in other professional groups.

Conclusion. When identifying a psychosomatic module, it is advisable to include employees in the risk group for hypertension. Within the framework of corporate programs for the preservation of health and the prevention of production-related diseases, it is advisable to carry out psychological support for employees of dangerous professions with the study of psychovegetative status.

Ethics. The scientists have conducted research in compliance with ethical principles and with the voluntary informed consent of the participants.

Contribution:
Malyutina N.N. — research concept and design, data collection and processing, text writing, editing;
Paramonova S.V. — research concept and design, data collection and processing, text writing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: 30.08.2022 / Accepted: 15.09.2022 / Published: 28.09.2022

The economic development of the State depends on the work of the able-bodied population. The cardiovascular system is highly reactive and reacts to many harmful production factors: noise, vibration, ionizing radiation, etc. Spastic vascular changes are the precursors of peripheral angiodistonic syndrome, which is part of the symptom complex of vibration disease, and accompanies polyneuropathy from physical overstrain. Detection of the disease at the initial stage of development for the appointment of timely prevention and treatment is the main task of modern medicine. Ultrasound examination, as one of the imaging methods in radiation diagnostics, successfully copes with this problem.

The study aims to develop criteria for early diagnosis of occupational pathology of the vessels of the upper extremities in workers of machine–building production.

We have examined 126 workers of the machine-building plant using standard clinical and laboratory methods, ultrasound examination of the vessels of the upper extremities and X-ray examination of the hands.

The main harmful production factors in the workplace were local and general vibration, the severity of the labor process, noise. The severity of the labor process of at least class 3.1 with a work experience of 21 years contributed to the development of spastic changes in the vessels of the upper extremities in power engineering workers.

Patients complained in 25% of cases, although an objective examination by a neurologist revealed no pathological changes characteristic of the pathology of the vascular bed. There were radiological changes in the hands in 83% of the examined workers and manifested as a violation of local circulation: cyst-like rearrangement in the bones of the wrists were in 40% of cases, in the form of periarticular osteopenia — in 70% of cases.

The most informative method of early diagnosis of vascular changes in the main arteries of the upper extremities is ultrasound. At the same time, the characteristic signs are an increase in the resistance index with the preservation of speed indicators (recorded in 100% of cases), a violation of venous outflow in 82%, pathological vascular tortuosity in 76%.

Ethics. The Local Ethics Committee of the North-Western Scientific Center of Hygiene and Public Health has approved the study, Protocol No. 23.1 of 10/28/2020.

Contribution:
Ulanovskaya E.V. — research concept and design, data collection and processing, writing the text;
Shilov V.V. — research concept and design, writing the text;
Kovshov A.A. — data collection and processing;
Zolotareva T.A. — data collection and processing, editing;
Ladogubets N.A. — data collection and processing, editing;
Kuprina N.I. — data collection and processing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: 20.04.2022 / Accepted: 31.08.2022 / Published: 28.09.2022

Currently, the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 967, December 15, 2000 "On approval of the Regulations on the Investigation and accounting of occupational diseases" has been in force on the territory of the Russian Federation for more than 20 years.