Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1975 Nov;32(4):302–307. doi: 10.1136/oem.32.4.302

Occupational asthma after inhalation of dust of the proteolytic enzyme, papain.

J Milne, S Brand
PMCID: PMC1008080  PMID: 1201257

Abstract

Papain is a proteolytic enzyme widely used by biochemists. In experiments on animals papain has been shown to cause emphysema either when they inhaled a single small dose or after intratracheal inhalation. Four food technologists were occupationally exposed to heavy concentrations of papain dust in air. Subjects 1 and 2 developed an immediate acute asthmatic reaction, and symptoms of obstructive airways disease persisted for some months while each remained in the same working area, presumably exposed to small gradually diminishing amounts of residual papain dust. Tests of respiratory function were carried out on all four subjects 1 1/2 years later and showed in subjects 1 and 3 minimal abnormality of bronchial reactivity and of ventilation distribution. Review of the literature reveals only two reports of asthma resulting from papain inhalation, although its antigenic and skin sensitizing qualities have been known and described for many years. It seems remarkable that a substance such as papain, shown to be a potent cause of lung damage in experimental animals, should have produced so little evidence of abnormality in our subjects after considerable exposure. Follow-up ventilatory function tests may cast further light on this but we postulate that the asthmatic response may be biologically protective and those lacking this reaction could later develop emphysema as a long-term outcome.

Full text

PDF
302

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arnon R., Shapira E. Antibodies to papain. A selective fractionation according to inhibitory capacity. Biochemistry. 1967 Dec;6(12):3942–3950. doi: 10.1021/bi00864a041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cade J. R., Pain M. C. Bronchial reactivity. Its measurement and clinical significance. Aust N Z J Med. 1971 Feb;1(1):22–25. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1971.tb02256.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Drenth J., Jansonius J. N., Koekoek R., Swen H. M., Wolthers B. G. Structure of papain. Nature. 1968 Jun 8;218(5145):929–932. doi: 10.1038/218929a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FOWLER W. S., CORNISH E. R., Jr, KETY S. S. Lung function studies. VIII. Analysis of alveolar ventilation by pulmonary N2 clearance curves. J Clin Invest. 1952 Jan;31(1):40–50. doi: 10.1172/JCI102575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Flindt M. L. Pulmonary disease due to inhalation of derivatives of Bacillus subtilis containing proteolytic enzyme. Lancet. 1969 Jun 14;1(7607):1177–1181. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92165-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GROSS P., BABYAK M. A., TOLKER E., KASCHAK M. ENZYMATICALLY PRODUCED PULMONARY EMPHYSEMA; A PRELIMINARY REPORT. J Occup Med. 1964 Dec;6:481–484. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GROSS P., PFITZER E. A., TOLKER E., BABYAK M. A., KASCHAK M. EXPERIMENTAL EMPHYSEMA: ITS PRODUCTION WITH PAPAIN IN NORMAL AND SILICOTIC RATS. Arch Environ Health. 1965 Jul;11:50–58. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1965.10664169. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gandevia B., Mitchell C. The dangers of proteolytic enzymes to workers. Med J Aust. 1971 May 8;1(19):1032–1033. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gandevia B. Occupational asthma. I. Med J Aust. 1970 Aug 15;2(7):332–contd. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1970.tb50018.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Goldring I. P., Greenburg L., Ratner I. M. On the production of emphysema in Syrian hamsters by aerosol inhalation of papain. Arch Environ Health. 1968 Jan;16(1):59–60. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1968.10665015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gross P., DeTreville R. T., Babyak M. A., Kaschak M., Tolker E. B. Experimental emphysema. Effect of chronic nitrogen dioxide exposure and papain on normal and pneumoconiotic lungs. Arch Environ Health. 1968 Jan;16(1):51–58. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1968.10665014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HOLLAND R. A., BLACKET R. B. The carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lung in normal subjects. Australas Ann Med. 1958 Aug;7(3):192–204. doi: 10.1111/imj.1958.7.3.192. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HWANG K., IVY A. C. A review of the literature on the potential therapeutic significance of papain. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1951 May;54(2):161–207. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1951.tb39914.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mitchell C. A., Gandevia B. Acute bronchiolitis following provocative inhalation of "alcalase"--a proteolytic enzyme used in the detergent industry. Med J Aust. 1971 Jun 26;1(26):1363–1367. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mitchell C. Occupational asthma due to Western or Canadian red cedar (Thuja plicata). Med J Aust. 1970 Aug 1;2(5):233–235. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1970.tb49952.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. NEEDHAM C. D., ROGAN M. C., McDONALD I. Normal standards for lung volumes, intrapulmonary gas-mixing, and maximum breathing capacity. Thorax. 1954 Dec;9(4):313–325. doi: 10.1136/thx.9.4.313. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pepys J., Longbottom J. L., Hargreave F. E., Faux J. Allergic reactions of the lungs to enzymes of Bacillus subtilis. Lancet. 1969 Jun 14;1(7607):1181–1184. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92166-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES