Clinical and immunologic evaluation of workers exposed to glutaraldehyde.
We describe immunologic responses in subjects exposed to glutaraldehyde (GA) who were diagnosed as having occupational asthma, or who described work-related respiratory symptoms. A series of GA-modified proteins was characterized, and used to analyse sera from 20 GA-exposed workers and 21 unexposed workers for IgE antibodies. Inhibition studies were used to determine the specificity of binding. The reaction of GA with albumin in different molar ratios produced a range of modified proteins, which were used to measure specific IgE antibodies. A significant difference between exposed and unexposed subjects with serum IgE less than 150 kU/l could be detected for GA-specific IgE antibodies (P - 0.026), and 31% of exposed workers with occupational asthma had antibody levels greater than the unexposed population (mean +2.5 SD). False-positive results were obtained with serum from unexposed workers who had total IgE levels greater than 150 kU/l, but this binding was not inhibited by GA-modified proteins. We report the first evidence of immunologic sensitization in some workers exposed to GA. However, GA may behave like many other low-molecular-weight chemicals in that specific antibodies can be detected in only a small percentage of exposed workers who report work-related respiratory symptoms.
Curran
A D
AD
Health and Safety Laboratory, An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive, Sheffield, UK.
Burge
P S
PS
Wiley
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005976:Glutaral / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000418:Albumins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D005976:Glutaral