Occupational exposure to high-molecular-weight allergens is a risk factor for the development and pathogenesis of IgE-mediated respiratory disease. In some occupational environments, workers are at an increased risk of exposure to fungal enzymes used in industrial production. Fungal enzymes have been associated with adverse health effects in the work place, in particular in baking occupations. ...

In 1984 Luczynska and her colleagues' described occupational asthma in workers packing ipecacuanha tablets, and stated that this association had not previously been described. As ipecacuanha has been used as a remedy in Britain since about 1680, having been used as a traditional cure in Brazil long before that,2 this suggested a singular failure of the powers of observation of doctors over seve...

BACKGROUND Occupational Asthma (OA) is the most frequent origin of occupational respiratory diseases in industrialized countries and accounts for between 5% and 25% of asthmatic patients. The correct and early diagnosis of OA is of great preventive and socio-economic importance. However, few studies exist on OA's prevalence in Catalonia and in Spain and those affected are mainly treated by the ...

Silk, which is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm, is a recognized cause of occupational asthma in silk-industry workers (1). Allergic rhinitis and asthma caused by silk have also been reported in children in China, in the absence of occupational exposure (2). However, allergy to silk in clothing is rare, as silk threads to be used for fabrics are subjected to several processes that remov...

RATIONALE Occupational exposures can contribute to the exacerbation as well as the onset of asthma. However, work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) has received less attention than occupational asthma (OA) that is caused by work. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this Statement is to summarize current knowledge about the descriptive epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and management and treatment of WEA; ...

This population-based cross-sectional survey assessed the prevalence of work-aggravated asthma symptoms and the effect of the work environment on the aggravation of symptoms of established asthma. A questionnaire was sent to 2,613 persons (aged 20-65 yrs) with asthma. The analyses were restricted to the 969 respondents who were currently employed. The effect of occupational exposure on the aggr...

Bronchial provocation studies on 15 workers occupationally exposed to formaldehyde are described. The results show that formaldehyde exposure can cause asthmatic reactions, and suggest that these are sometimes due to hypersensitivity and sometimes to a direct irritant effect. Three workers had classical occupational asthma caused by formaldehyde fumes, which was likely to be due to hypersensiti...

Information on the healthy worker hire effect in relation to asthma is scant. We aimed to assess whether and how childhood asthma-related characteristics (before hire) relate to occupational exposures at first hire. Analyses were conducted in 298 children examined at the first survey of the Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (1991-1995), who reported a training peri...