title: Is trimellitic anhydride skin testing a sufficient screening tool for selectively identifying TMA-exposed workers with TMA-specific serum IgE antibodies?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Trimellitic anhydride (TMA) can elicit specific IgE-mediated immune responses leading to asthma. This single-blinded study investigated the ability of TMA skin testing to identify workers with TMA-serum specific IgE antibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty TMA-exposed workers who were previously screened for the presence of TMA-IgG and/or IgE serum specific antibodies were skin tested to a TMA-human serum albumin reagent by nurses blinded to their antibody responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings from skin-prick tests were positive in 8 of 11 workers with TMA-serum specific IgE antibodies. Intracutaneous testing, performed only on skin prick testing-negative workers, was positive in two additional workers with TMA-serum specific IgE antibodies. A significant correlation was found between serum and skin test dilutions eliciting positive responses (ρ = 0.87, P < 0.05; n = 11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TMA skin testing provides an alternative and potentially more practical method for monitoring TMA-exposed workers for developing IgE sensitization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology/Allergy Section, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA. Jonathan.Bernstein@uc.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Debajyoti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Wesley J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Sublett
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010796:Phthalic Anhydrides / Q000276:immunology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010796:Phthalic Anhydrides; D012709:Serum Albumin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C015559:trimellitic anhydride