Occupational Asthma Reference

Basinas I, Schlünssen V, Heederik D, Sigsgaard T, Smit LAM, Samadi S, Omland Ø, Hjort C, Madsen AM, Skov S, Wouters IM, Sensitisation to common allergens and respiratory symptoms in endotoxin exposed workers: a pooled analysis, Occup Environ Med, 2012;69:99-106,
(Plain text: Basinas I, Schlunssen V, Heederik D, Sigsgaard T, Smit LAM, Samadi S, Omland O, Hjort C, Madsen AM, Skov S, Wouters IM, Sensitisation to common allergens and respiratory symptoms in endotoxin exposed workers: a pooled analysis, Occup Environ Med)

Keywords: Holland, Denmark, farmer, endotoxin, atopy

Known Authors

Dick Heederik, Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht Dick Heederik

Torben Sigsgaard, University of Aarhus Torben Sigsgaard

Lidwien Smit, Utrecht University Lidwien Smit

Oyvind Omland, Aahus Denmark Oyvind Omland

Vivi Schlunssen, Aarhus Vivi Schlunssen

If you would like to become a known author and have your picture displayed along with your papers then please get in touch from the contact page. Known authors can choose to receive emails when their papers receive comments.

Abstract

Objective
To test the hypotheses that current endotoxin exposure is inversely associated with allergic sensitisation and positively associated with non-allergic respiratory diseases in four occupationally exposed populations using a standardised analytical approach.

Methods
Data were pooled from four epidemiological studies including 3883 Dutch and Danish employees in veterinary medicine, agriculture and power plants using biofuel. Endotoxin exposure was estimated by quantitative job-exposure matrices specific for the study populations. Dose–response relationships between exposure, IgE-mediated sensitisation to common allergens and self-reported health symptoms were assessed using logistic regression and generalised additive modelling. Adjustments were made for study, age, sex, atopic predisposition, smoking habit and farm childhood. Heterogeneity was assessed by analysis stratified by study.


Results
Current endotoxin exposure was dose-dependently associated with a reduced prevalence of allergic sensitisation (ORs of 0.92, 0.81 and 0.66 for low mediate, high mediate and high exposure) and hay fever (ORs of 1.16, 0.81 and 0.58). Endotoxin exposure was a risk factor for organic dust toxic syndrome, and levels above 100 EU/m3 significantly increased the risk of chronic bronchitis (p<0.0001). Stratification by farm childhood showed no effect modification except for allergic sensitisation. Only among workers without a farm childhood, endotoxin exposure was inversely associated with allergic sensitisation. Heterogeneity was primarily present for biofuel workers.

Conclusions
Occupational endotoxin exposure has a protective effect on allergic sensitisation and hay fever but increases the risk for organic dust toxic syndrome and chronic bronchitis. Endotoxin's protective effects are most clearly observed among agricultural workers.

Full Text

Full text of this reference not available

Please Log In or Register to add the full text to this reference

Comments

Please sign in or register to add your thoughts.


Oasys and occupational asthma smoke logo