• Sungyeul Choi, Yong Lim Won, Dohyung Kim, Mi-Young Lee, Yoon Jung Choi, Jai-Soung Park, Hyoung-Ryoul Kim, Jung Im Jung, Sang-Gil Lee, and Eun-A Kim.
• Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Ulsan, Korea.
• Am. J. Ind. Med. 2015 Jan 1;58(1):61-8.

BackgroundKorea is one of the highest indium-consuming countries worldwide. The present study aims to determine the relationship between interstitial lung disorders and indium exposure in Korea.MethodsIn 50 indium workers from seven plants, the effect of serum indium on the lungs was determined using laboratory tests, spirometry, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT).ResultsHigher serum indium and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels were associated with HRCT-detected interstitial lung changes. Workers with high serum indium levels (≥3 µg/L) had longer exposure durations and a higher prevalence of HRCT-detected interstitial lung changes. KL-6 and surfactant protein-D (SP-D) levels were significantly higher in the highest serum indium quartile than the lowest quartile. Significant dose-effect relationships existed between serum indium levels and KL-6, SP-D levels and the prevalence of HRCT-detected interstitial lung changes.ConclusionsWorkforce medical surveillance should be established to prevent indium-induced interstitial lung disease in Korea.© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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