Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis in Farmers: Improving Etiologic Diagnosis to Optimize Counselling.

In a farmer, a diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) might cause drastic changes in life, and guidance concerning future prospects within farming requires a best possible etiological diagnosis. We aimed to assess (1) if immunological analyses based on material samples from the work environment could be used to improve the etiologic diagnosis in a farmer suffering from HP, and (2) if combining a longitudinal immunological investigation of workplace material with a realistic work place inhalation challenge could be used to optimize counselling with respect to further employment within farming. A realistic workplace inhalation challenge was performed to explore potential associations between exposure, symptoms and immune responses.

Pulmonary illness as a consequence of occupational exposure to shrimp shell powder.

Objectives: An employee with no prior history of allergy or asthma, experienced respiratory and flu-like symptoms during production of shrimp shell powder in a seafood savory factory in Norway. We aimed to clarify the diagnosis and to identify the cause of the symptoms by specific inhalation challenge (SIC) and by characterizing the powder's biocontaminants, particle size fractions and inflammatory potential.

Methods: Respiratory and immunological responses were measured the day before and after each of four challenges with 20-150g shrimp shell powder during three consecutive days.

Effects of industrial processing on the immunogenicity of commonly ingested fish species.

Background: Food-processing techniques may induce changes in fish protein immunogenicity. Allergens from >100 fish species have been identified, but little is known on the effects of processing on fish protein immunogenicity.

Methods: IgE binding of sera of patients allergic to fresh and processed (smoked, salted/sugar-cured, canned, lye-treated and fermented) cod, haddock, salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel and herring and of hydrolysates based on salmon and whiting was investigated using immunoblot and inhibition ELISA.

Occupational allergy to Artemia fish fry feed in aquaculture.

Background: Artemia (brine shrimp) is used as feed for fish fry and shrimp in aquaculture. Two employees in a Norwegian aquaculture research farm reported having chest symptoms when working in an Artemia hatch room.

Aims: To determine the presence and prevalence of Artemia sensitization at the farm and the extent of any Artemia-related respiratory and hand skin symptoms and to identify the allergens involved.

High prevalence of immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization among sisal (Agave sisalana) processing workers in Tanzania.

Purpose: Allergic sensitization among workers exposed to sisal is scarcely documented. We examined whether sisal processing is associated with IgE sensitization and its relationship to the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among Tanzanian processors.

Methods: 138 sisal exposed workers and 78 non-exposed controls were skin prick tested (SPT) using dry sisal extract and fresh sisal sap.

Bronchial responsiveness in bakery workers: relation to airway symptoms, IgE sensitization, nasal indices of inflammation, flour dust exposure and smoking.

Background: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is common in bakery workers. The relation between bronchial responsiveness measured with a tidal breathing method and smoking, airway symptoms, IgE-sensitization, nasal indices of inflammation and flour dust exposure have been studied with bronchial responsiveness expressed as a continuous outcome.

Material And Methods: Bakery workers (n = 197) were subjected to interviews, questionnaires, allergy tests, workplace dust measurements and bronchial metacholine provocation.

Nasal indices of eosinophilic and exudative inflammation in bakery-workers.

Aims: Rhinitis symptoms frequently occur in bakery-workers. Yet, little is known about the pathophysiology of this condition. The objective of the present study was to examine nasal indices of inflammation in relation to occupational dust exposure, occupational rhinitis according to defined criteria, rhinitis symptoms associated to the workplace, and occupational sensitization in bakery-workers.

Allergy to fish parvalbumins: studies on the cross-reactivity of allergens from 9 commonly consumed fish.

Background: Fish-hypersensitive patients can probably tolerate some fish species while being allergic to others.

Objective: To determine the allergenic cross-reactivity between 9 commonly edible fish: cod, salmon, pollack, mackerel, tuna, herring, wolffish, halibut, and flounder.

Methods: Sera from 10 patients allergic to fish and rabbit antisera against 3 parvalbumins (Gad c 1, Sal s 1, and The c 1) were used.

Exposure and airway effects of seafood industry workers in northern Norway.

Objective: In this study, we explored airway symptoms and exposure to bioaerosols and exhaust gases in seafood industry plants.

Methods: The study details the results from personal and environmental exposure measurements (17 plants), a questionnaire (n = 984), and clinical examinations (n = 225).

Results: The workers were exposed to allergens, endotoxins, molds, and exhaust.

Characterization of parvalbumin, the major allergen in Alaska pollack, and comparison with codfish Allergen M.

Increased fish consumption has led to frequent reporting of fish allergy and adverse reactions. Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) is a globally important commercial fish species, belonging to the Gadidae family. This family of fish also includes cod whose parvalbumin, Allergen M (Gad c 1), has been thoroughly studied and considered as a reference to sensitization in fish allergy.

The major allergen (parvalbumin) of codfish is encoded by at least two isotypic genes: cDNA cloning, expression and antibody binding of the recombinant allergens.

The major allergen (parvalbumin) from cod, designated Allergen M Gad c 1, has been intensively studied both from the structural and immunological sides. In the present study, transcripts of two isotypic parvalbumin genes in Atlantic cod were identified and characterized. Subsequently, subfragments were inserted into the expression vector pET-19b, generating plasmids with coding capacity for complete parvalbumin polypeptides fused to an N-terminal his(10) tag.