Introduction. Pneumoconiosis is a chronic lung disease that develops with prolonged exposure to dust factors in production. The absence of pronounced symptoms in the early stages often leads to delayed diagnosis, when serious consequences, including disability, are already developing. Due to the lack of specific clinical and laboratory signs, chest X-ray, previously considered the standard of diagnosis, remained the main method of detecting pathology for a long time.

The study aims to analyze the effectiveness of methods of radiation diagnosis of pneumoconiosis in workers of the mining and metallurgical industries, as well as to identify typical tomographic signs characterizing this disease.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted at the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health (Moscow) and the Orenburg Regional Clinical Hospital No. 2. A total of 105 patients with suspected pneumoconiosis, based on chest radiographic findings, were included. All participants underwent a comprehensive diagnostic protocol including laboratory tests, pulmonary function assessment, bronchoscopy, and high-resolution computed tomography (CT) of the chest organs.

Results. Computed tomography has demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy compared to X-ray. The sensitivity of the X-ray method was 85.1% (95% CI: 76.28–91.61%), while its specificity was limited to 9.1% (95% CI: 0.23–41.28%). In the case of CT, sensitivity reached 98.9% and specificity 81.8% (95% CI: 94.21–99.97% and 48.22–97.72%, respectively). According to the CT results, the patients were classified according to the shape of the lesion into three groups: nodular (n=41), interstitial (n=15) and combined (n=38). The majority (56.2%) had respiratory failure, while five had pulmonary tuberculosis. Typical CT signs were multiple foci, mainly of perilymphatic distribution, as well as thickening of the interlobular structures of the lungs.

Limitations. The sample size was limited by the number of patients with confirmed pneumoconiosis.

Conclusion. Computed tomography is a more accurate method of detecting pneumoconiosis compared to radiography. It was found that the CT sensitivity and specificity indices (98.9% and 81.8%) significantly exceed the corresponding values for radiography (85.1% and 9.1%). This confirms the need to include CT in standard diagnostic protocols for occupational lung diseases.

Ethics. The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health (extract from the minutes of the meeting No. 6 dated 06/17/2014).

Contributions:
Kovaleva A.S. — collecting material and data processing, writing text;
Bukhtiyarov I.V. — concept, design and organization of research;
Strizhakov L.A. — concept, design and organization of research;
All co-authors — responsibility for approving the final version of the article and ensuring the integrity of all parts of the article.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 29.06.2025 / Accepted: 07.07.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

Introduction. The specific effects of harmful chemical production factors on vascular-endothelial regulation have not been sufficiently studied and determine the relevance of this study to identify the effects of rare-earth elements modifying vascular regulation, taking into account unmodifiable risk factors such as polymorphic SNP variants of candidate genes.

The study aims to evaluate the features of vascular-endothelial and regulatory phenotypes in non-ferrous metallurgy workers associated with the 894G>T polymorphism of the eNOS endothelial NO-synthase gene (rs1799983) under conditions of exposure to rare-earth elements.

Materials and methods. The authors examined employees of titanium-magnesium production, the observation group consisted of 36 people working under the conditions of exposure to rare-earth elements, the comparison group included 26 employees of the administrative office. The determination of rare-earth elements in biological media was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cytokine content was studied by solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction in real time.

Results. Elevated levels of rare-earth elements (REE) in the blood of workers in the monitoring group were shown in terms of gadolinium, holmium, cerium, dysprosium, terbium, lanthanum, and neodymium by 1.3–3.0 times relative to the values in the comparison group (p=0.000–0.025), which were associated with an imbalance in the cytokine profile and metabolic parameters (lipid spectrum). A statistically significant excess frequency of the T variant allele of the eNOS gene (rs1799983) in the observation group was found to be 3.0 times higher than in the comparison group (p=0.001), which for owners of GT and TT genotypes was associated with a 1.2-fold decrease in eNOS levels, increased expression of MMP9 and IL-1beta (p=0.026–0.045) regarding the values of GG genotype carriers.

Limitations. The present study requires additional verification and further study due to the limited size of the sample examined.

Conclusion. Thus, statistically significant associations of elevated REE levels in the blood of surveillance group workers and the frequency of polymorphic variants of the eNOS 894G>T gene (T allele, TT and GT genotypes) with increased expression of immunoregulatory mediators (cytokines) and a significant decrease in the level of endothelial NO synthase were established, which creates an increased risk associated with knockout of the candidate gene vascular disorders (RR=2.99; 95%CI=1.42–6.30). The identified markers will make it possible to optimize the implementation of diagnostic measures for the prevention of the development of cardiovascular diseases in conditions of exposure to REE.

Ethics. All the surveyed signed a voluntary informed consent to participate in the study. The study was performed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (revised 2013) and approved by the local Ethics Committee (Protocol No. 15 dated 03/14/2023).

Contributions:
Zaitseva N.V. — concept and design of research, editing;
Starkova K.G. — research concept and design, data analysis, text writing;
Dolgikh O.V. — research concept and design, data analysis, editing;
Alekseev V.B. — research concept and design, editing;
Legostaeva T.A. — data analysis, text writing;
Kazakova O.A. — data analysis, text writing.
All authors — approving the final version of the article.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 21.05.2025 / Accepted: 15.07.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

Introduction. The profession of a subway train driver places high demands on the physical health and mental state of the employee. A sudden deterioration in the driver's health can trigger an emergency situation that poses a threat to the lives of passengers, so regular monitoring of the health status and analysis of the morbidity pattern of electric train drivers in the subway are of paramount importance.

The study aims to analyze the prevalence of general somatic diseases, identify the main nosological forms, and evaluate the overall health status of metro drivers based on data from periodic medical examinations.

Materials and methods. Specialists have conducted a clinical and laboratory examination of 2,642 electric train drivers (men) of Moscow Metro State Unitary Enterprise as part of preventive medical examinations in the clinic of Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health.

Results. Among the drivers of electric trains, 89.7% had one or more somatic pathologies, of which the main ones were respiratory diseases, diseases of the ear and mastoid process, and diseases of the cardiovascular system. 87.4% of the surveyed needed constant dispensary supervision, 74.1% needed further outpatient examination and treatment, and 9.2% needed sanatorium treatment. A significant (p<0.05) violation of carbohydrate metabolism and indicators of the functioning of the cardiovascular system was revealed in workers with more than 20 years of experience compared with groups with less than 10 years of experience and 10–19 years of experience. Arterial hypertension is significantly more common in employees with more than 20 years of experience than in employees with less than 10 years of experience (p=0.043).

Limitations. The drivers of electric trains were examined only by the State Unitary Enterprise "Moscow Metro".

Conclusion. The results obtained indicate the presence of changes in the cardiovascular system of electric train drivers under prolonged exposure to adverse factors, which necessitates a more detailed and specialized diagnosis of cardiovascular pathology in order to preserve the longevity of this category of workers.

Ethics. The study was conducted in compliance with ethical standards for conducting medical research involving humans in accordance with the requirements of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association. All the surveyed signed a voluntary informed consent to participate in the study. The study was approved by the conclusion of the local Ethics Committee of Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health (minutes of the meeting of the Ethics Committee of Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health No. 8 dated 11.11.2020).

Contributions:
Kuzmina L.P. — concept and design, editing;
Karpushina A.V. — design, collecting and processing data, conducting laboratory tests, text writing, editing;
Kislyakova A.A. — processing data, text writing, editing;
Bezrukavnikova L.M. — editing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 22.05.2025 / Accepted: 23.06.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

Introduction. The formation of emotional burnout and cognitive impairments due to the stressful effects of the professional environment in medical professionals may be accompanied by a decrease in adaptive abilities and a restructuring of metabolism in the central nervous system.

The study aims to identify the features of cerebral energy metabolism and cognitive functions in secondary medical personnel (SMP), depending on the stage of burnout formation.

Materials and methods. 36 SMP women were examined. Methods of neuroenergic mapping and neuropsychological diagnostics were used.

Results. In individuals with SMP, when compared with the comparison group, the most vulnerable cognitive functions were identified: long-term memory (1.2(0–1,6), points and 0.0(0–1) points at p=0.001, respectively), expressive speech (1.0(0–1,0), points and 0.0(0–1,0), points at p=0.0002, respectively). The disorder of impressive speech (explanation of logical and grammatical constructions) is combined with a violation of cerebral energy metabolism under functional stress, determining the possible importance of the functions of the complex of parietal structures in coordinating adaptation mechanisms. There is a relationship between the formed depletion phase and the level of constant potential (LCP) in the frontal (r_s=–0.34 p=0.038) and left central (r_s=–0.34 p=0.037) brain regions, as well as an inadequate post-stress change in cerebral energy metabolism during hyperventilation, the post-hyperventilation period, and the rapid verbal response test (r_s=–0.34 p=0.038; r_s=–0.34 p=0.037; r_s=–0.39 p=0.018; r_s=–0.37 p=0.025; r_s=–0.36 p=0.03, respectively), characterizing a violation of neurovegetative status reactions in the formed Exhaustion phase.

Limitations. The study is limited to a sample of individuals from the same professional group, and the lack of clinical and psychological characteristics of the surveyed.

Conclusion. The dynamics of LCP characteristics during functional afferent tests is accompanied by a change in the indicator characterizing impressive speech, which determines the vulnerability of the overlap zone of the tertiary fields of the temporal, parietal and occipital cortex of the left hemisphere of the brain in case of impaired adaptation while maintaining internal homeostasis in SMP. The established relationship between the severity of burnout syndrome, the level of permanent potential, adaptive capabilities of brain reactions and neuropsychological indicators in people with primary health care has suggested that impaired adaptation to stress in SMP will play a key role in the formation of possible professionally caused diseases and cognitive dysfunction.

Ethics. The examination of patients was conducted in accordance with the ethical standard of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association "Ethical principles of conducting scientific medical research with human participation". All the surveyed signed an informed consent to participate in the study. There is a conclusion of the Local Ethics Committee of the East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research (Protocol No. 5 dated 03/21/2023).

Contributions:
Shevchenko O.I. — concept and design of research, collection and processing of material and writing of text, editing;
Kuleshova M.V. — concept and design of research, collection and processing of material, writing, editing;
Lakhman O.L. — editing;
Pankov V.A. — editing.
All authors — responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the final version of the manuscript.

Funding. The funding was provided as part of the State Assignment for Basic Scientific Research.

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

Received: 26.05.2025 /Accepted: 16.06.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

Introduction. The problems of diagnosing occupational shoulder injuries in manual workers are caused by a number of reasons. These include the lack of objective and complete data on the severity of the labor process, determined by a special assessment of working conditions and reflected in the sanitary and hygienic characteristics of working conditions. There is an incomplete correspondence of the list of occupational shoulder injuries to the International Classification of Diseases of the 10^th revision. Doctors do not have enough information about the clinical manifestations and diagnostic techniques for shoulder injuries, and there are no criteria for early diagnosis of this pathology.

The study aims to assess occupational risk and improve the diagnosis of occupational shoulder injuries in miners.

Materials and methods. The authors assessed the a priori risk of developing shoulder lesions in underground miners based on an analysis of the severity of the labor process according to the sanitary and hygienic characteristics of working conditions and/or maps of a special assessment of working conditions, as well as the results of a specially designed questionnaire. Specialists have examined 224 underground miners, including a set of orthopedic diagnostic tests, ultrasound diagnostics of the shoulder joint and isokinetic dynamometry during shoulder rotation.

Results. Experts have identified an increased occupational risk of shoulder lesions in miners, the predominant form of which is shoulder rotator compression syndrome. A high diagnostic accuracy of clinical orthopedic tests for shoulder lesions and a positive correlation between the severity of clinical manifestations and ultrasound signs of shoulder lesions (r=0.7) have been established, which indicates the effectiveness of a comprehensive clinical and instrumental examination. Isokinetic dynamometry in the early stages of the formation of shoulder rotator compression syndrome revealed a decrease in the values of torque (VT) during external and internal rotation of the shoulder, which indicates a developing functional muscle deficiency at the preclinical stage. The criteria for early diagnosis are a progressive decrease in VT, a sharp decrease in VT at the "pain point", and an asymmetry of VT (more than 20 Nm).

Limitations. The study is limited to a sample of individuals from certain professional groups.

Conclusion. The results of the study made it possible to clarify the structure of occupational shoulder injuries in miners and determine the optimal complex of clinical examination with high diagnostic effectiveness. Criteria for the early diagnosis of pathology using isokinetic dynamometry have been established.

Ethics. The examination of patients was conducted in accordance with the Ethical standard of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association "Ethical principles of conducting scientific medical research with human participation". All the surveyed signed an informed consent to participate in the study. There is a conclusion of the Local Ethics Committee of the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health (Protocol No. 8 dated 19.10.2022).

Contributions:
Shchetinina A.A. — collection and processing of material, statistical data processing, writing text;
Saarkoppel’ L.M. — research concept and design, statistical data processing, text editing;
Lagutina G.N. — concept and design of research, text editing;
Nepershina O.P. — collection and processing of material;
Lagutina A.P. — collection and processing of material.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 19.06.2025 / Accepted: 02.07.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

The scientific field related to the study of the genetic and epigenetic predisposition to the development of occupational diseases under the influence of harmful industrial factors is currently based on the use of high-performance molecular biological methods of genomic DNA analysis. Of particular interest are new methods for determining the primary structure of genomic DNA using technologies of mass parallel sequencing or Next Generation sequencing (NGS) and hybridization analysis of DNA using high-density microarrays (micromatrix analysis). The above technologies, combined with the use of statistical metadata processing methods and artificial intelligence capabilities, open up new perspectives in assessing and predicting the risks of developing socially significant diseases. The resulting data set can be crucial in solving the tasks of occupational risk management and prevention of occupational diseases under the influence of harmful industrial factors. The study aims to present the works on the search for functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms that are markers of an increased risk of developing certain cancers and occupational respiratory diseases in industrial workers exposed to carcinogens, xenobiotics, heavy metals, VGDF (vapors, gases, dust and fumes, vapors, gases, dust and smoke). The review pays special attention to the description of the identified genetic markers of predisposition to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), one of the most common respiratory pathologies. In a number of cases, the influence of the ethnicity of the studied groups of workers on the risk of developing occupational diseases in the presence of one or another variant of polymorphism has been demonstrated. For further screening studies, it is advisable to use technological platforms (diagnostic systems) for multiplex analysis within no more than a few dozen identified genetic markers for which an association with the development of occupational diseases has been reliably shown.

Ethics. This study did not require the conclusion of an Ethics Committee.

Contributions:
Kuzmina L.P. — concept and design of the review, writing, editing;
Markelov M.L. — review design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data (literary sources), text writing;
Markelov K.M. — analysis and interpretation of data (literary sources), translation and validation of presentation of medical materials, writing, editing;
Yudin V.S. — concept and design of the review, writing, editing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 05.06.2025 / Accepted: 24.06.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

Introduction. Poor quality of periodic medical examinations (PMEs) is one of the main challenges in managing occupational risks. Detection of early signs of occupational and work-related diseases is at a low level. Private healthcare providers having a license not only to conduct pre-employment and routine exams, but also to establish a causal link between a worker’s disease and his workplace, are playing an increasingly active role in conducting PMEs.

The study aims to compare the results of periodic medical examinations of employees conducted in the Sverdlovsk Region by government and private organizations licensed to diagnose occupational diseases in 2020–2024.

Materials and methods. We have analyzed 1,546 and 1,499 medical examination reports issued by government occupational health centers and private healthcare companies over the study period, respectively.

Results. Despite the rising number of PMEs conducted by private medical centers, we noted an extremely low level of detection of occupational and chronic somatic diseases and underreporting of the number of workers at high risk of developing occupational illnesses. Such centers ignore the necessity and possibility of referring eligible workers to government-run occupational health facilities for in-depth examination in order to exclude the job-related etiology of the existing condition.

Limitations. The study is limited to analyzing summary medical examination reports submitted to the Sverdlovsk Regional Occupational Health Center.

Conclusion. To assess the quality of PMEs and effectiveness of management decisions taken to reduce occupational risks, a consensus of the professional community on the PME quality evaluation criteria is required.

Ethics. The study did not require the approval of the local Ethics Committee.

Contributions:
Gazimova V.G. — study conception and design, editing;
Shastin A.S. — data collection and analysis, draft manuscript preparation.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 09.06.2025/ Accepted: 18.06.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025

Introduction. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), in particular, arterial hypertension (AH), remain the leading cause of demographic losses in society due to the risk of complications such as coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, being not only a medical but also a socio-economic problem affecting the professional fitness and loss of health of employees. In the conditions of production teams, high blood pressure can serve as a selection criterion. Despite a significant amount of research on hypertension, its dynamics among workers in various industries has not been sufficiently studied from the perspective of seasonal fluctuations.

The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of high blood pressure among workers in the transport industry, taking into account seasonal fluctuations, based on the results of pre-shift medical examinations to improve the effectiveness of preventive measures.

Materials and methods. The authors have analyzed the records of the database of the electronic medical examination system (KAP ESMO), manufactured by LLC "KVAZAR" (Russia), which conducted a pre-shift medical examination for 8 years (2016–2023) at one of the enterprises of the transport industry. They also analyzed seasonal fluctuations in the number of detected cases of systolic blood pressure exceeding 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure exceeding 90 mmHg at a pre-shift medical examination (PSME). Experts calculated the coefficients of arterial hypertension (CAH) using the formula: CAH=(Number of employees with BP≥140/90 mmHg. Total number of employees who passed the PSME in a month)×100. Data processing was performed using MS Excel 2013. The analysis of the normality of the distribution of the studied variables was carried out using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov criterion. The seasonal differences were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis criterion for independent samples. The researchers applied the t-test for independent samples of detailed comparison of paired differences between months. The information value of the feature was assessed using the p-level. The critical significance level (p) was assumed to be 0.05 when testing statistical hypotheses.

Results. An analysis of the data showed that more workers with hypertension are identified in the autumn-winter period than in the spring-summer period. Statistically significant differences by month were confirmed by the Kruskal-Wallis criterion (p<0.001). The AH coefficient is higher in the cold months than in the summer, which indicates the need for increased monitoring of the condition of employees during this period and timely preventive measures. The introduction of CAH made it possible to take into account the influence of the sample and objectively assess the dynamics of AH in the team.

The detected fluctuations in hypertension may influence the decision of a medical professional on admission to work. If the number of detected cases of hypertension increases, but the number of suspensions from work remains stable, this may indicate the formal nature of medical examinations. Thus, it is necessary to introduce automated health assessment systems and increase responsible attitude to the results of the pre-shift medical examinations.

Limitations. The analysis was carried out solely on the basis of data from the automated system of pre-shift medical examinations (CAP ESMO), which excludes the possibility of comparison with data from traditional medical examinations. The sample under study is dominated by men, which reflects the specifics of the industry under study, but limits the possibility of extending the results to enterprises with a gender-balanced team.

Conclusion. The revealed patterns of seasonal fluctuations in hypertension must be taken into account when developing corporate health programs and planning preventive measures. The introduction of automated medical systems increases the objectivity of medical monitoring and minimizes the influence of subjective factors on the part of medical staff, which is essential for maintaining professional health and reducing the risk of complications of cardiovascular diseases.

Ethics. The study was conducted in compliance with the ethical principles of medical and scientific research. All data was obtained from the database of the electronic medical examination system in compliance with the principles of anonymity and confidentiality. The study did not require additional intervention and did not involve any changes to the standard procedures of the PSME.

Contributions:
Mudraya K.V. — development of the research concept, data analysis, interpretation of results, writing of the text, preparation of the manuscript for submission;
Molokotin V.K. — research concept, editing;
Tugolukov A.V. — research concept, editing;
Malyutina N.N. — research concept, editing, discussion of results, conclusions.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 14.05.2025 / Accepted: 02.07.2025 / Published: 05.08.2025