title: Lymphocyte transformation with cobalt in hard metal asthma.
abstract: Lymphocyte transformation tests with cobalt were done in 9 hard metal asthma patients diagnosed on the basis of a positive bronchial provocation test with cobalt. Positive lymphocyte proliferation in response to the metal was defined statistically from the results of 18 controls comprising 12 hard metal-exposed and 6 non-exposed controls. Out of the 4 patients who had been reported to have IgE antibody specific to cobalt, the lymphocytes of 2 proliferated with metal: one showed positive lymphocyte transformation to free cobalt, the other to both free cobalt and cobalt-conjugated human serum albumin. These results suggest that cobalt-sensitized lymphocytes play a role in some hard metal asthmatics. However, the mechanism underlying the hard metal asthma in the other 5 asthmatics who had neither cobalt-specific IgE antibody nor cobalt-sensitized lymphocytes remain to be elucidated.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morimoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D003035:Cobalt; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt