Immunological status and respiratory findings in furriers.
We studied 42 women occupationally exposed in the fur manufacturing industry (mean age: 34 years, mean duration of exposure: 11 years). The highest prevalence of positive immediate skin reactions to antigen of animal hair was found for marten (10%), followed by fox and lamb (7%), mink (5%), and Chinese lamb, domestic fox, and Chinese calf (2%). Precipitating antibodies were demonstrated for lamb (17%), astrakhan (14%), mink, domestic fox and skunk (12%), Chinese lamb (10%), and Chinese calf (7%). Increased total IgE was found in 9.5% of subjects. Chronic symptoms were consistently more prevalent among workers with positive skin tests and positive precipitins than among workers with negative tests. A high prevalence of acute symptoms during the work shift was found among furriers. The prevalence of these symptoms was higher among workers with positive precipitating antibodies than among those with negative studies but not for workers with positive skin tests. Mean acute reductions in ventilatory capacity over the work shift were recorded for most ventilatory parameters. In general, greater drops in respiratory parameters occurred in individuals with positive precipitins (e.g., FEV1: -6.5% vs. -2.8%; positive vs. negative precipitins) but not in those with positive skin tests. Our study suggests that workers in the fur manufacturing industry develop acute and chronic respiratory problems often associated with specific indicators of atopy.
Zuskin
E
E
Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
Kanceljak
B
B
Stilinovic
L
L
Schachter
E N
EN
Kopjar
B
B
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000828:Animal Population Groups / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012882:Skin Tests