title: Sensitization to silk allergen among workers of silk filatures in India: a comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sericulture plays an eminent role in development of rural economy in India. Silk filature is a unit where silk is unwound from the cocoons and the strands are collected into skeins. During the process workers are exposed to the high molecular weight proteins like Sericin and Fibroin which are potent allergens leading to sensitization over a period of time and subsequently occupational related health disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify and compare the magnitude of silk allergen sensitization in workers of silk filatures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community based comparative descriptive study was conducted for a period of 1 year at Ramanagara in south India. One hundred twenty subjects working in the silk filatures formed the study group. For comparison, 2 types of controls were selected viz.120 subjects who were not working in the silk filatures but resided in the same geographical area (control A) and 360 subjects who were not working in silk filatures as well not residing in the same geographical area (control B). Skin prick test was used to identify the silk allergen sensitization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 34.14 ± 2.84 years in the study group. Mean age was 40.59 ± 14.40 years and 38.54 ± 12.20 years in control A and control B, respectively. There were 35 males (29.16%) and 85 females (70.84%) in the study group. There were 58 (48.34%) males and 62 (51.66%) females and 152 (42.2%) males and 208 females (57.8%) in control A and control B, respectively. Sensitization to silk allergen was 35.83% in the study group and 20.83% in the control group A and 11.11% in control group B. There was difference in the allergen sensitivity between the study group and control groups and it was statistically significant (chi-square = 38.08; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is high burden of silk allergen sensitization among silk filature workers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560070, India.
authors.forename: Giriyanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gowda
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560070, India.
authors.forename: Anwith Huluvadi
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Shivalingaiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560070, India.
authors.forename: Anagha Manakari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vijayeendra
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560070, India.
authors.forename: Nivedita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560070, India.
authors.forename: Chitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore 560070, India.
authors.forename: Nugehally Raju Ramesh
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Masthi
keywords: Allergens; Silk; Skin tests