Table 1. Characteristics of the subjects (n=169).
| Variable | Subjects with LAA | Subjects without LAA | Non animal handlers | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | * | # | † | |
| Total | 24 (14.2) | 112 (66.3) | 33 (19.5) | |||
| Age in year, mean (range) | 37.1 ± 9.7 (23–56) | 37.4 ± 10.2 (21–59) | 32.4 ± 7.3 (21–46) | 0.4477 | 0.0207 | 0.004 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 17 (10.0) | 79 (46.7) | 20 (12.0) | 0.977 | 0.424 | 0.281 |
| Female | 7 (4.1) | 33 (19.5) | 13 (7.7) | |||
| Smoking habit | ||||||
| Current smoker | 4 (2.4) | 15 (9.0) | 5 (3.0) | 0.675 | 0.877 | 0.797 |
| Non-smoker | 20 (11.8) | 97 (57.4) | 28 (16.6) | |||
| Education on allergenic material | 4 (2.4) | 29 (17.2) | _ | 0.644 | _ | _ |
| History of allergy | ||||||
| Personal history of allergy | 15 (9.0) | 29 (17.2) | 10 (6.0) | 0.001 | 0.016 | 0.555 |
| No personal history of allergy | 8 (4.7) | 79 (46.7) | 21 (12.4) | |||
| Family history of allergy | 16 (9.5) | 42 (25.0) | 9 (5.3) | 0.006 | 0.003 | 0.332 |
| No family history of allergy | 7 (4.1) | 67 (39.7) | 22 (13.0) | |||
| Exposure hour/week, median (range) | 6 (1–45) | 5 (1–35) | _ | 0.023 | _ | _ |
| Working experience with lab animals | ||||||
| 0–5 | 13 (7.7) | 65 (38.4) | _ | 0.623 | _ | _ |
| >5 | 11 (6.5) | 44 (26.0) | _ | |||
| Latency period (yr) | ||||||
| 0–3 | 12 (7.1) | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| 4–8 | 6 (3.6) | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| 9–14 | 3 (1.8) | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| LAA related symptoms | ||||||
| Nose/eye symptoms | 19 (11.2) | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| Skin symptoms | 11 (6.5) | _ | _ | _ | _ | _ |
| Asthma symptoms | 5 (3.0) | _ | _ | _ | ||
| Use of personal protective equipments | ||||||
| Mask | 21 (12.4) | 92 (54.4) | _ | 0.525 | _ | _ |
| Gloves | 21 (12.4) | 110 (65) | _ | 0.011 | _ | _ |
| Clothing | 15 (9.0) | 50 | _ | 0.112 | _ | _ |
| Head covering | 2 (1.2) | 4 (2.4) | _ | 0.303 | _ | _ |
| Eye protectors | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.2) | _ | 0.471 | _ | _ |
* Subjects with LAA vs. without LAA. # Subjects with LAA vs. Non animal handlers. † Subjects without LAA vs. Non animal handlers. There are missing data, so some total may not add up. LAA: Laboratory animal allergy.