Rhinitis caused by ninhydrin develops into occupational asthma.
Ninhydrin (2,2-dihydroxy-1,3-indanedione or 1,2,3-triketo-hydrindene hydrate) is a chemical used in the detection of free amino and carboxyl groups in proteins and peptides. Allergic, immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated rhinitis caused by ninhydrin was diagnosed earlier in a 41 yr old woman working as a laboratory technician in a forensic laboratory. Despite handling ninhydrin only in a flow cabinet, symptoms of dyspnoea developed 6 months later. Peak flow was found to vary by 20% during working days. In the specific inhalation challenge it was shown that occupational asthma had also developed due to continuing slight exposure to ninhydrin. The titre of ninhydrin-specific IgE also increased from 0.6 to 1.1 kU x L(-1) in the follow-up. This case stresses the importance of cessation of allergen exposure in occupational allergic rhinitis, in order to prevent asthma.
Piirilä
P
P
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki.
Estlander
T
T
Hytönen
M
M
Keskinen
H
H
Tupasela
O
O
Tuppurainen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000502:physiology; D017056:Medical Laboratory Personnel; D009555:Ninhydrin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013997:Time Factors
D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D009555:Ninhydrin