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Indoor and Built Environment, Vol. 1, No. 2, 82-87 (1992)
DOI: 10.1177/1420326X9200100205

Sensitization to Laboratory Animals and Small-Airway Hyperreactivity

Stefan Willers

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund, University

Ulf Hjortsberg

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund, University

Jan Ake Wihl

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Lund University, Malmö General Hospital, Malmö, Sweden

Palle Ørboek

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund, University

Fifty-six laboratory-animal workers were investigated regarding allergy and lung function. Thirty percent had at least one positive skin prick test against laboratory animals. RAST® test was positive in 25 %. Thirty-two percent had laboratory-animal allergy (LAA; rhinoconjunctivitis and/or asthma). Associa tion with an increased risk for LAA was found for atopy, as indicated by a family history of allergy, positive skin prick test against nonlaboratory envi ronmental allergens, positive Phadiatop®, and increased levels of serum IgE. The entire group of laboratory workers did not significantly differ from a ref erence group in airway reactivity. However, subgrouping of the workers showed that sensitized cases had significantly increased levels of volume of trapped gas (VTG), a measure of the small-airway function, after pulmonary provocation with methacholine at a concentration of 0.1 %, as compared to both a reference group and nonsensitized workers. Thus, animal allergen sen sitization was found to be associated with small-airway hyperreactivity. Also, a positive Phadiatop was associated with increased levels of VTG.

Key Words: Atopy • Hyperreactivity • IgE • Laboratory animal allergy • Predisposing factors • Lung function


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