title: Early incidence of occupational asthma is not accelerated by atopy in the bakery/pastry and hairdressing sectors.
abstract: METHODS
  Occupational asthma (OA) is most likely to develop in the very early years of exposure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the early incidence of OA among bakers/pastry-makers (BP) and hairdressers and to explore the role of atopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following a retrospective follow-up design, subjects were invited to undergo telephone interviews. Those who declared work-related respiratory or rhinitis symptoms and a sample group of others were offered a medical visit for OA investigations. Data from interviews and from medical visits were used to estimate the incidence of OA according to increasing durations of exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 866 subjects were interviewed (mean age 25.3 years, 43.8% females), of whom 282 underwent a medical visit. Total estimated incidence rates of 'confirmed or probable' OA during the first 12 years of exposure were high in BP (2.63 per 100 person-years [py]) and in hairdressers (0.58/100 py), particularly in the first 4 years. Atopy is a strong risk factor for incidence among BP but, irrespective of the occupational sector, it does not influence the timing of OA symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OA symptoms occur soon after the start of exposure. Our results suggest that atopy does not precipitate the occurrence of symptoms in two different allergen exposure settings.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U954, School of Medicine, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France. thomas.remen@inserm.fr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rémen
authors.forename: D-S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Acouetey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hannhart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poussel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chenuel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbaud
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zmirou-Navier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D059366:Asthma, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001461:Barbering; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens