title: The usefulness of job relocation and serum eosinophil cationic protein in baker's asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the most widely recommended treatment for occupational asthma is to completely avoid the causative agents, job relocation within the same company is often substituted for a complete career change. However, there is not much data on the efficacy of job relocation within the workplace and appropriate follow-up parameters. We investigated baker's asthma patients to validate the efficacy of job relocation and follow-up markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve bakery plant workers diagnosed with baker's asthma were enrolled in the study. Asthma-related symptoms and methacholine provocation test were followed up 6 months after a job relocation. Skin prick test and ELISA to detect wheat flour-specific IgE and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in sputum and serum were also followed up to evaluate the status of allergic inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a 6-month job relocation, all 12 workers showed an improvement in symptoms, and airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine was negatively converted in 9 of them. There were no significant differences in skin reactivity and serum flour-specific IgE levels before and after the relocation. While sputum ECP levels did not show a significant difference (338.3 ± 93.0 μg/l vs. 175.0 ± 78.9 μg/l, p = 0.118), there was a remarkable difference in serum ECP levels before and after the relocation (12.2 ± 3.0 μg/l vs. 2.8 ± 3.1 μg/l, p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Job relocation was effective in managing baker's asthma. Serum ECP level was a useful follow-up marker of baker's asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Hye
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hye-Ryun
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D059366:Asthma, Occupational / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein