The Relationship Between Potential Occupational Sensitizing Exposures and Asthma: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.

Objectives: The aim was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the scientific evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and the development of asthma based on systematic reviews.

Methods: The study was conducted as an overview of systematic reviews. A systematic literature search was conducted for systematic reviews published up to 9 February 2020.

[Isocyanate-induced asthma].

Isocyanates are often found in workplaces in e.g., glue, paint, plastics and foam products.

Historical Asbestos Measurements in Denmark-A National Database.

Objectives: Due to the long lag-time for health outcomes, historical asbestos exposure measurements are valuable to support assessments of associated occupational health effects, and also to assess time trends and effects of preventive measures.

Methods: Different sources of stored data were collated, assessed and refined to create a harmonized database on historical asbestos fibre concentrations measured in specific work tasks and different industries. The final database contains 9236 asbestos measurements from Danish workplaces collected from 1971 to 1997.

Phenotyping Occupational Asthma Caused by Acrylates in a Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: While acrylates are well-known skin sensitizers, they are not classified as respiratory sensitizers although several cases of acrylate-induced occupational asthma (OA) have been reported.

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of acrylate-induced OA in a large series of cases and compare those with OA induced by other low-molecular-weight (LMW) agents.

Methods: Jobs and exposures, clinical and functional characteristics, and markers of airway inflammation were analyzed in an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort of subjects with OA ascertained by a positive inhalation challenge to acrylates (n = 55) or other LMW agents (n = 418) including isocyanates (n = 125).

Severe Occupational Asthma: Insights From a Multicenter European Cohort.

Background: Although sensitizer-induced occupational asthma (OA) accounts for an appreciable fraction of adult asthma, the severity of OA has received little attention.

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the burden and determinants of severe OA in a large multicenter cohort of subjects with OA.

Methods: This retrospective study included 997 subjects with OA ascertained by a positive specific inhalation challenge completed in 20 tertiary centers in 11 European countries during the period 2006 to 2015.

Pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) may cause occupational asthma.

Introduction: Anhydrides are widely used as cross-linking agents in epoxy resins and alkyd production, for example, as coatings and adhesives in plastic products. Sensitisation to several anhydrides is known to cause occupational asthma. There are indications that the lesser known pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) can cause irritative respiratory symptoms and possibly asthma.

Are high- and low-molecular-weight sensitizing agents associated with different clinical phenotypes of occupational asthma?

Background: High-molecular-weight (HMW) proteins and low-molecular-weight (LMW) chemicals can cause occupational asthma (OA) although few studies have thoroughly compared the clinical, physiological, and inflammatory patterns associated with these different types of agents. The aim of this study was to determine whether OA induced by HMW and LMW agents shows distinct phenotypic profiles.

Methods: Clinical and functional characteristics, and markers of airway inflammation were analyzed in an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort of subjects with OA ascertained by a positive inhalation challenge response to HMW (n = 544) and LMW (n = 635) agents.

[Asbestosis and pleural plaques].

Asbestos was used in numerous products until its total ban in Denmark in 1988. The prevalence of asbestosis and pleural plaques does not yet appear to be falling. Unfortunately the statistics are unreliable due to errors in the Danish translation of the ICD-10 codes of the disease.

Determinants of persistent asthma in young adults.

The aim of the study was to evaluate determinants for the prognosis of asthma in a population-based cohort of young adults. The study was a nine-year clinical follow up of 239 asthmatic subjects from an enriched population-based sample of 1,191 young adults, aged 20-44 years, who participated in an interviewer-administered questionnaire and clinical examination at baseline in 2003-2006. From the interview, an asthma score was generated as the simple sum of affirmative answers to five main asthma-like symptoms in order to analyse symptoms of asthma as a continuum.

[Work-up of asbestosis and estimation of asbestos exposure in an occupational context].

Asbestosis is interstitial lung fibrosis due to inhalation of asbestos fibres. Up to the ban of import in 1986, 0.7 mil tons had been used in Denmark.

A systematic review of occupational exposure to coal dust and the risk of interstitial lung diseases.

: Exposure to coal dust can cause interstitial lung disease (ILD), but whether this is due to pure coal or to the contents of quartz in coal is less clear. Here, we systematically reviewed the relation between 'pure coal' and ILD. : In a systematic review based on PRISMA criteria 2945 articles were identified.

Risk factors for incident asthma and COPD in a cohort of young adults.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to describe potential shared risk factors for incident asthma and COPD in a population-based, 9-year follow-up study.

Methods: From a cohort of 1191 individuals, aged 20-44, who participated in baseline survey including spirometry, bronchial challenge, and skin prick test (SPT) 742 subjects (62%) were reexamined at follow-up in 2012-2014.

Results: A total of 27 incident cases of asthma and 22 cases of COPD were identified at follow-up corresponding to an incidence rate of 5.

[Specific bronchial and nasal provocations with work-related allergens].

Specific inhalation challenge (SIC) is the golden standard for identifying specific causes of work-related asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis. Few centres offer SIC as it requires experience, resources and acute treatment facilities. Prior to SIC treatment should be carefully reduced.

Systemic sarcoidosis mimicking malignant metastatic disease.

We present a case of systemic sarcoidosis involving the liver, pancreas, lungs, mediastinal and intraabdominal lymph nodes and bones. Multiple organ system manifestations mimicked malignant metastatic disease. The diagnosis was established with clinical, radiological, and pathological findings after neoplasm was ruled out by pathological tests.

[Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis caused by occupational exposure to ginger].

We present a case report of occupational allergic rhinoconjunctivitis after exposure to dust from ginger-containing herbal medicine. The likelihood of an aetiological connection between exposure and the patient's symptoms was supported by a temporal association, positive specific IgE, positive histamine release test, positive prick test, and positive acoustic rhinometry test. Occupational allergy to ginger has rarely been reported.

Are allergen batch differences and the use of double skin prick test important?

Background: Skin prick tests (SPT) are widely used both in clinical diagnostics and in research. The standardization of allergen extracts is well documented to be crucial for the validity of SPT, whereas less emphasis has been placed on reproducibility and the SPT procedure itself. The objectives of this study are to clarify how the double skin prick test procedure influence the sensitivity and specificity of the test and to analyse the differences in weal size in skin prick tests between two batches of allergen extracts from the same vendor.

[Working as a sandblaster can cause silicosis].

Silicosis is a common occupational disease worldwide. It is caused by the inhalation of crystalline silicon dioxide, i.e.

[Asthma among mink workers].

We report two cases of asthma among mink workers. The first case is about a mink farmer who had asthma that was difficult to treat. In the medical history there was no clear relation to work, and no conclusive work relation with peak flow monitoring.

[Delayed asthma bronchiale due to epoxy resin].

Epoxy resin is a low molecular weight agent, which can cause both acute and delayed allergic reactions. However, it is known causing skin reactions with direct or airborne contact. Rarely it can cause airway reactions like asthma bronchiale.

Occupational asbestos exposure and lung cancer--a systematic review of the literature.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the scientific literature concerning asbestos and lung cancer, emphasizing low-level exposure. A literature search in PubMed and Embase resulted in 5,864 citations. Information from included studies was extracted using SIGN.

Asthma from the patient's perspective.

Background: Asthma is a chronic disease with considerable burden on health and economy. Despite growing knowledge about causes and treatment, many patients have uncontrolled asthma, activity and social limitations and reduced quality of life (QOL). Coping with asthma could be developed in a social and scientific context and influenced by personal experience.

Factors influencing quality of life in asthmatics--a case-control study.

Introduction: The quality of life (QOL) in persons with asthma is reduced and different factors such as demography, asthma severity and psychiatric comorbidity play an influential role. However, little is known about the interplay of these factors.

Objective: To describe QOL in relation to asthma and analyse for the relative impact of asthma severity, psychiatric comorbidity, lifestyle (smoking and obesity) and demographic determinants on QOL in persons with asthma.

Consequences of asthma on job absenteeism and job retention.

Aims: Various social and economic effects are associated with asthma. This quantitative study describes the effects of current asthma on work life evaluated from the number of weeks receiving transfer incomes.

Methods: The study population comprised 7,241 persons answering the ECRHS II screening questionnaire, which was sent to a random age and gender stratified sample of 10,000 persons aged 20 to 44 years.

Type 1 sensitisation against a Steinernema feltiae product.

The use of biological control measures (biopesticides) is a widespread and fundamental technique for crop protection in greenhouses. Previous reports have documented allergic sensitisation against predatory mites, bacteria and fungi. Till now no cases of sensitisation against nematode products have been described.