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Biomarkers of respiratory allergy in laboratory animal care workers: an observational study

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Abstract

Objectives

Laboratory animal allergy is a highly prevalent occupational disease among exposed workers. The aim of the study was to validate the biomarkers of airway inflammation in laboratory animal (LA) care workers.

Methods

All of the participants in this observational study (63 LA care workers and 64 controls) were administered a clinical questionnaire, underwent spirometry and a skin prick or radioallergosorbent test for common and occupational aeroallergens, and the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO50), exhaled breath condensate hydrogen peroxide (EBC H2O2) and serum pneumoprotein levels were measured. Multivariate analysis (ANCOVA) was used to assess the interactions of the variables.

Results

FeNO50 levels correlated with exposure (p = 0.002), sensitisation (p = 0.000) and age (p = 0.001), but there was no interaction between exposure and sensitisation when age was considered in the model (p = 0.146). EBC-H2O2 levels were higher in the sensitised workers than in the sensitised controls [0.14 (0.08–0.29) µM vs 0.07 (0.05–0.12) µM; p < 0.05]. Serum surfactant protein A (SP-A) levels were unaffected by exposure, sensitisation or age, although higher levels were observed in symptomatic workers; however, SP-D levels were influenced by exposure (p = 0.024) and age (p = 0.022), and club cell 16 levels were influenced by sensitisation (p = 0.027) and age (p = 0.019).

Conclusions

The presence of the clinical symptoms associated with LA exposure and high FeNO levels should prompt further medical assessments in LA workers. Although EBC-H2O2 levels do not seem to reflect eosinophilic inflammation, serum SP-A levels could be used to monitor progression from rhinitis to asthma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Sonia Curioni, Marina Corti, Elisabetta Ferdenzi and Melissa Bonci for patient recruitment; Marcello Montagni and Valerie Melli for carrying out the skin prick tests; and Silvana Pinelli and Rossella Alinovi for their technical analyses.

Funding

This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Federica Tafuro, Luisella Selis, Matteo Goldoni, Paola Mozzoni, Erminia Ridolo & Massimo Corradi

  2. Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

    Mariarita Stendardo & Piera Boschetto

  3. Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43123, Parma, Italy

    Massimo Corradi

Authors
  1. Federica Tafuro
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  2. Luisella Selis
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  3. Matteo Goldoni
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  5. Paola Mozzoni
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Correspondence to Massimo Corradi.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Massimo Corradi: Scopus Author ID: 7005227313.

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Tafuro, F., Selis, L., Goldoni, M. et al. Biomarkers of respiratory allergy in laboratory animal care workers: an observational study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 91, 735–744 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1321-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-018-1321-8

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