title: Exposure to formaldehyde and phenol during an anatomy dissecting course: sensitizing potency of formaldehyde in medical students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The sensitizing potency of formaldehyde and phenol during anatomy dissecting was investigated. The objective was to determine whether exposure induces specific IgE or IgG against formaldehyde-albumin or phenol-albumin.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 27 medical students, specific IgE against formaldehyde-albumin by RAST plus ELISA and specific IgE against phenol-albumin by ELISA were assessed. In addition, specific IgG against formaldehyde-albumin was assessed in 23 students. Symptoms before and during dissecting were assessed, and indoor formaldehyde and phenol were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean indoor formaldehyde was 0.265 +/- 0.07 mg/m3, and mean indoor phenol was 4.65 +/- 2.96 mg/m3. Specific IgE/IgG against formaldehyde-albumin was not found at the beginning. Four students developed specific IgE against formaldehyde-albumin (RAST classes of > or =2.0), and all four also had specific IgE in the ELISA, but IgG against formaldehyde-albumin was not found. Specific IgE against phenol-albumin was not seen. Itch and paresthesia of the hands (P<0.00001), dizziness (P<0.008), burning eyes (P<0.01), headache, sneezing, epistaxis, gingival bleeding, oral or pharyngeal itch, and shortness of breath were experienced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Formaldehyde exposure during dissecting may induce specific IgE, but not IgG, against formaldehyde-albumin. Sensitization did not correlate with symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Dermatologic and Pediatric Allergy Clinic, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wantke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Focke
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bracun
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolf-Abdolvahab
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Götz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jarisch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Götz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschabitscher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tappler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000276:immunology*; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000209:etiology; D019800:Phenol / Q000276:immunology*; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D013337:Students, Medical
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000485:Allergens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D005557:Formaldehyde; D019800:Phenol; D007073:Immunoglobulin E