Abstract
Findings are presented from the initial cross sectional phase of a cohort study of employees exposed to flour in bakeries or mills. Of 401 eligible workers in seven sites 344 (86%) were surveyed; symptoms assessed by self completed questionnaire, and sensitisation measured by the response to skin prick tests, were related to intensity of exposure both to total dust and to flour aeroallergen. Among 264 subjects without previous occupational exposure to flour, work related symptoms which started after first employment at the site were related to exposure intensity, especially when exposure was expressed in terms of flour aeroallergen. The relations with eye/nose and skin symptoms were independent of atopic status and cigarette smoking. Positive skin test responses to mixed flour and to alpha amylase were also more frequent with increasing exposure intensity, although this was confounded by atopic status. There was only a weak association between symptoms and specific sensitisation.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Baur X., Fruhmann G., Haug B., Rasche B., Reiher W., Weiss W. Role of Aspergillus amylase in baker's asthma. Lancet. 1986 Jan 4;1(8471):43–43. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)91924-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Baur X., Sauer W., Weiss W. Baking additives as new allergens in baker's asthma. Respiration. 1988;54(1):70–72. doi: 10.1159/000195503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Björkstén F., Backman A., Järvinen K. A., Lehti H., Savilahti E., Syvänen P., Kärkkäinen T. Immunoglobulin E specific to wheat and rye flour proteins. Clin Allergy. 1977 Sep;7(5):473–483. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01478.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cullinan P., Lowson D., Nieuwenhuijsen M. J., Gordon S., Tee R. D., Venables K. M., McDonald J. C., Newman Taylor A. J. Work related symptoms, sensitisation, and estimated exposure in workers not previously exposed to laboratory rats. Occup Environ Med. 1994 Sep;51(9):589–592. doi: 10.1136/oem.51.9.589. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Musk A. W., Venables K. M., Crook B., Nunn A. J., Hawkins R., Crook G. D., Graneek B. J., Tee R. D., Farrer N., Johnson D. A. Respiratory symptoms, lung function, and sensitisation to flour in a British bakery. Br J Ind Med. 1989 Sep;46(9):636–642. doi: 10.1136/oem.46.9.636. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nieuwenhuijsen M. J., Sandiford C. P., Lowson D., Tee R. D., Venables K. M., McDonald J. C., Newman Taylor A. J. Dust and flour aeroallergen exposure in flour mills and bakeries. Occup Environ Med. 1994 Sep;51(9):584–588. doi: 10.1136/oem.51.9.584. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tee R. D., Gordon D. J., Gordon S., Crook B., Nunn A. J., Musk A. W., Venables K. M., Taylor A. J. Immune response to flour and dust mites in a United Kingdom bakery. Br J Ind Med. 1992 Aug;49(8):581–587. doi: 10.1136/oem.49.8.581. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tee R. D., Gordon D. J., van Hage-Hamsten M., Gordon S., Nunn A. J., Johansson S. G., Taylor A. J. Comparison of allergic responses to dust mites in U.K. bakery workers and Swedish farmers. Clin Exp Allergy. 1992 Feb;22(2):233–239. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1992.tb03078.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]