Immediate-type allergy related to okra (Hibiscus esculentus Linn) picking and packing.
Two workers (cases A and B) engaged in picking and packing okra who had complaints of work-related allergic symptoms showed distinct positive intradermal reactions to two brands of okra extracts only with thresholds of 1 x 10(-8) w/v for Case A and 1 x 10(-6) w/v for Case B. Both also showed positive reactions to okra extracts in the Prausnitz-Küstner test and in the provocative nasal test. The radioallergosorbent test scores to the okra extract were determined to be 2 (defined as clear positive) for Case A and 1 (border line) for Case B. These findings indicated that the allergic conditions of these cases were from an IgE-mediated immediate-type allergy induced by handling okra. To confirm the etiology of the two cases 14 farmers engaged in picking and packing okra were examined. Among them, 8 subjects (57%) showed positive intradermal reactions to okra extracts. A close association between intradermal reactions to okra extracts and complaints of work-related allergic symptoms was seen in these subjects. These results confirm that the okra may be capable of inducing IgE-mediated immediate-type allergy to workers handling okra.
Ueda
A
A
Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Manda
F
F
Aoyama
K
K
Ueda
T
T
Obama
K
K
Li
Q
Q
Tochigi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010945:Plants, Edible; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D012882:Skin Tests
D007136:Immunoglobulins