Predisposing factors in laboratory animal allergy: A study of atopy and environmental factors

✍ Scribed by Dr. Lars Sjöstedt; Stefan Willers

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 587 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0271-3586
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.4700160211

✦ Synopsis

A population of 101 laboratory technicians handling laboratory animals was studied with regard to predisposing factors for allergy. Twenty-seven had symptoms indicating laboratory animal allergy (LAA); of these, nine had asthma and were skin prick test positive for animal allergens. The LAA asthmatics had an increased frequency of a family history of allergy (relative risk, RR = 3.8); the predictive value was 0.27. There was also an increase of skin prick positivity against common nonanimal allergens (RR = 15); the predictive value was 0.60. All persons with marked positive skin prick tests ( 2 f 2) to environmental allergens had developed animal-test-positive LAA asthma. In 56% of the LAA asthma cases the serum IgE levels were elevated (> lOOkU/L). In preemployment screening of susceptible individuals two important selection criteria emerged, viz., family history of allergy and positive skin prick reactions against environmental allergens.