Have the prevalence and incidence of occupational asthma and rhinitis because of laboratory animals declined in the last 25 years?

BACKGROUND: Data for time trends in the prevalence of occupational asthma (OA) and rhinitis (OR) are not known. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and incidence of OA and OR over time. METHODS: We chose to review studies on the prevalence and incidence of OA and OR due to laboratory animals (LA) as a marker of changing OA and OR patterns over time and analysed 15 cross-sectional and 4 longitudinal studies published from 1980 to 2006. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of OA, defined as work-related chest symptoms (WRCS), declined from 8.2% in 1976 to 4.2% in 2001 (P < 0.005). When defined by WRCS and positive skin prick test (SPT) to LA, the estimated prevalence of OA was 6.7% in 1977 and 2.9% in 1999 (P < 0.02). The prevalence of OR, defined by WRNS or WRNS and SPT to LA, was not related to study date but was inversely associated with mean exposure duration. In four longitudinal studies no clear trend emerged over time. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests a trend toward a progressive decline in the prevalence of occupational asthma due to laboratory animals, which may be due to the reduction of exposure since the early 1980s. A further reduction of exposure is needed to prevent the onset of occupational rhinitis.

Genetic analysis of Israel acute paralysis virus: distinct clusters are circulating in the United States.

Israel acute paralysis virus (IAPV) is associated with colony collapse disorder of honey bees. Nonetheless, its role in the pathogenesis of the disorder and its geographic distribution are unclear. Here, we report phylogenetic analysis of IAPV obtained from bees in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Israel and the establishment of diagnostic real-time PCR assays for IAPV detection. Our data indicate the existence of at least three distinct IAPV lineages, two of them circulating in the United States. Analysis of representatives from each proposed lineage suggested the possibility of recombination events and revealed differences in coding sequences that may have implications for virulence.

[Latex allergy in hospital workers--follow-up of symptomatic subjects]. / L'allergia al lattice tra i dipendenti dell'ospedale di Terni: follow-up dei soggetti sintomatici.

Latex allergy may be manifested in a variety of clinical disturbances such as contact urticaria, angioedema, rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, and anaphylactic reactions. The aim of this follow-up study was to determine whether a change in glove use from powdered to powder-free latex gloves at previously surveyed hospital workers reduced the work-related symptoms. 53 hospital workers with work-related symptoms where followed up 4,6 years after first investigation. On re-examination, 54.7% use both powdered and powder-free gloves, 37.7% used only latex free gloves and 7.6% stopped the glove use. At follow-up, in 68% of subjects there was the remission or the improvement of work-related symptoms. The improvement of symptoms was greater in workers using powder-free gloves than in others (p < 0.005). In conclusion our study shows that preventive measures, such as the use a powder-free latex gloves, are sufficient to induce a reduction of work-related symptoms.

[Have the prevalence and incidence of occupational asthma and rhinitis due to laboratory animals declined in the last 25 years?]. / La prevalenza e l'incidenza dell'asma e della rinite occupazionale da animali di laboratorio si sono ridotte negli ultimi 25 anni?

Data for time trends in the prevalence of occupational asthma (OA) and rhinitis (OR) are not known. To investigate trends in the prevalence and incidence of OA and OR over time, we reviewed the available literature. We analysed 15 cross-sectional and 4 longitudinal studies published from 1980 to 2006. In workers exposed to laboratory animals (LA) the prevalence of OA ranged from 2.2% to 11.7%; the prevalence of OR ranged from 6.7% to 41.7%. When we analysed prevalence by study date using a logistic model, the estimated prevalence of OA declined from 8.7% in 1976 to 4.2% in 2001 (p < 0.003), which is -1.8% every ten years. The prevalence of OR rose slightly from 18.5% in 1976 to 19.7% in 2001 (NS). In four longitudinal studies the incidence of OA ranged from 0.4 to 3.5/100 person years, while the incidence of OR ranged from 2.0 to 10.1/100 person years. No clear trend emerged over time. This review shows a trend toward a progressive decline in the prevalence of occupational asthma due to laboratory animals, which may be due to the reduction of exposure since the early 1980s. A further reduction of exposure is needed to prevent the onset of occupational rhinitis.

[Occupational asthma: role of airway inflammation and remodelling in persistent respiratory symptoms and bronchial hyper-responsiveness]. / Asma professionale: il ruolo dell'infiammazione e del rimodellamento delle vie aeree sulla persistenza dei sintomi e dell'iperresponsività bronchiale.

BACKGROUND: Until the late 1970's occupational asthma (OA) was considered reversible once patients were removed from exposure. Unfortunately, respiratory symptoms and non-specific bronchial hyper-responsiveness (NSBH) persist in about two-thirds of patients for years after removal from the offending agent. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: This review focuses on the role of airways inflammation and remodelling in persistent respiratory symptoms and NSBH after cessation of occupational exposure. RESULTS: Even though cessation of exposure does not always result in remission of OA, symptoms, airways calibre and NSBH do improve in many patients. Although improvements in FEV1 and NSBH tend to reach a plateau 1-2 years after workers leave exposure, reversing NSBH may take much longer and respiratory symptoms and NSBH can persist in subjects removed from exposurefor >10 yrs. Long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) induces a small but significant improvement in respiratory symptoms and in quality of life and a decrease in NSBH. Prolonged exposure and respiratory symptoms, marked airway obstruction and NSBH, high total cell, eosinophil and neutrophil counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, a strong reaction during specific inhalation challenge, and delayed treatment with ICS have been identified as prognostic factors of unfavourable outcome. If exposure persists, OA tends to deteriorate in many patients but regular long-term treatment with ICS and long-acting beta2-agonists seems to stabilize the outcome. Soon after the last exposure inflammatory cell infiltrates, including eosinophils, and increased thickness of sub-epithelial collagen have been observed. When time since removal from exposure was longer, persistence of respiratory symptoms and NSBH was associated with airway inflammation, remodelling and hypersensitivity to the offending agent. Thickness of sub-epithelial collagen and specific airway sensitivity were reduced after prolonged non-exposure to isocyanates, although NSBH and airway inflammation persisted. CONCLUSIONS: Pathologic features are similar in OA and non-occupational asthma. The main factors of favourable outcome are early removal from exposure and a mild airway obstruction and NSBH at diagnosis. Persistence of airway inflammation years after removal from exposure suggests this process may become independent of the offending agent. The role of remodelling on persistence of OA needs to be clarified further.

[Clinical and functional course of occupational asthma in pharmacologic treatment and during persistent exposure. A 3-year follow-up]. / Andamento clinico e funzionale dell'asma professionale in trattamento farmacologico e durante il persistere dell'esposizione. Follow-up di tre anni.

According to act 626/1994, employers have the duty to inform and train workers and their representatives. The implementation of training activities requires the following points: planning the training progra according to the needs of the target population, use of the methods aimed at promoting learning and the adoption of safe behaviour, setting-up of evaluation tools. The disciplines of risk perception and communication and adult training may provide useful contribution in this frame. At the light of the preliminary experiences in this field, the importance of the following items for workers, workers representatives and employers is emphasized: probabilistic causality models, role of cognitive and emotional factors in the learning process, definition of carcinogenic according to national and internationals organisation, meaning of TLV with respect to carcinogenic exposure, interaction between carcinogens in the case of multiple exposition, risk evaluation, preventive measures, transfer of carcinogen risk from workplace to domestic environment, due to lack of compliance with basic hygienic rules such proper use of work clothes.

[Occupational asthma and rhinitis caused by colophony among linoleum production workers]. / Asma e rinite professionale da colofonia negli addetti alla produzione del linoleum.

According to act 626/1994, employers have the duty to inform and train workers and their representatives. The implementation of training activities requires the following points: planning the training progra according to the needs of the target population, use of the methods aimed at promoting learning and the adoption of safe behaviour, setting-up of evaluation tools. The disciplines of risk perception and communication and adult training may provide useful contribution in this frame. At the light of the preliminary experiences in this field, the importance of the following items for workers, workers representatives and employers is emphasized; probabilistic causality models, role of cognitive and emotional factors in the learning process, definition of carcinogenic according to national and internationals organisation, meaning of TLV with respect to carcinogenic exposure, interaction between carcinogens in the case of multiple exposition, risk evaluation, preventive measures, transfer of carcinogen risk from workplace to domestic environment, due to lack of compliance with basic hygienic rules such proper use of work clothes.

[C3 and IgG Fc receptors of granulocytes in human pathology]. / Receptores para C3 y para Fc de IgG del sector granulocítico en patología humana.

Blood neutrophils and their bone marrow cell progenitors have membrane receptors for C3 and for the Fc portion of IgG. To test possible changes in the expression of those receptors associated to diseases we studied: a) blood of 31 and bone marrow of 9 normal individuals; b) blasts of 29 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia; c) bone marrow of 8 patients with severe bacterial infections. The receptors were evaluated by rosette techniques: Saccharomyces C3 and sheep erythrocyte specific IgG antibody. Dried droplet stained smears were used to count rosettes of cells at different stages of maturation. The studies disclosed the following: a) these receptors are detected in progressively increasing percentage of cells throughout the differentiation steps of the granulocytic series; receptor for C3 is depicted as starting in promyelocytes, and receptor for Fc in myelocytes; the percentage of bone marrow neutrophils expressing these receptors is lower than that of blood neutrophils; b) in acute myeloblastic leukemia, blasts frequently express receptors normally found at more mature levels of differentiation which is an expression of nucleocytoplasmic asynchronism; there is good correlation between the FAB classification and the expression of these receptors; c) in severe bacterial infections, the receptors are found at earlier stages and in a higher proportion of cells at early maturation steps, marking a shift to the left in the expression of receptors.

Receptores para C3 y para Fc de IgG del sector granulocítico en patología humana. / [C3 and IgG Fc receptors of granulocytes in human pathology]

Blood neutrophils and their bone marrow cell progenitors have membrane receptors for C3 and for the Fc portion of IgG. To test possible changes in the expression of those receptors associated to diseases we studied: a) blood of 31 and bone marrow of 9 normal individuals; b) blasts of 29 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia; c) bone marrow of 8 patients with severe bacterial infections. The receptors were evaluated by rosette techniques: Saccharomyces C3 and sheep erythrocyte specific IgG antibody. Dried droplet stained smears were used to count rosettes of cells at different stages of maturation. The studies disclosed the following: a) these receptors are detected in progressively increasing percentage of cells throughout the differentiation steps of the granulocytic series; receptor for C3 is depicted as starting in promyelocytes, and receptor for Fc in myelocytes; the percentage of bone marrow neutrophils expressing these receptors is lower than that of blood neutrophils; b) in acute myeloblastic leukemia, blasts frequently express receptors normally found at more mature levels of differentiation which is an expression of nucleocytoplasmic asynchronism; there is good correlation between the FAB classification and the expression of these receptors; c) in severe bacterial infections, the receptors are found at earlier stages and in a higher proportion of cells at early maturation steps, marking a shift to the left in the expression of receptors.