Asthma Severity and Exposure to Occupational Asthmogens

Overview

Journal Am J Respir Crit Care Med

Specialty Critical Care

Date 2005 Jun 18

PMID 15961697

Citations 19

Authors

Nicole Le Moual

Valerie Siroux

Isabelle Pin

Francine Kauffmann

Susan M Kennedy

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rationale: Severe asthma is a public health problem with limited information regarding preventable causes. Although occupational exposures have been implicated as important risk factors for asthma and asthma exacerbations, associations between occupational exposures and asthma severity have not been reported.

Objective: To examine associations between occupational exposures and asthma severity.

Methods: The Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma combines a case-control study with a family study of relatives of patients with asthma. Adult patients (n = 148) were recruited in chest clinics and control subjects without asthma (n = 228) were population-based. Occupational exposures to nonasthmogenic irritants and asthmogens (classified as "any asthmogen" including three broad groups: high-molecular-weight agents, low-molecular-weight agents, and mixed environments) were assessed by an asthma-specific job exposure matrix. Asthma severity was defined from an 8-grade clinical score (frequency of attacks, persistent symptoms, and hospitalization). Patients with severe (score >or= 2) and mild asthma were compared with control subjects using nominal logistic regression.

Main Results: Significant associations were observed between severe adult-onset asthma and exposure to any occupational asthmogen (odds ratio [OR], 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-8.1), high-molecular-weight agents (OR, 3.7; CI, 1.3-11.1), low-molecular-weight agents (OR, 4.4; CI, 1.9-10.1), including industrial cleaning agents (OR, 7.2; CI, 1.3-39.9), and mixed environments (OR, 7.5; CI, 2.4-23.5). No significant associations were found between nonasthmogenic irritants and asthma severity, nor between asthmogens and childhood-onset asthma or mild adult-onset asthma.

Conclusions: Our results suggested a strong deleterious role of occupational asthmogens in severe asthma. Clinicians should consider occupational exposures in patients with moderate to severe asthma.

Citing Articles

Lee Y, Lee S, Park S, Kim M, Kang S, Ban G World Allergy Organ J. 2024; 17(5):100903.

PMID: 38818085 PMC: 11137527. DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2024.100903.

Exploring the association between asthma and chronic comorbidities: impact on clinical outcomes.

Listyoko A, Okazaki R, Harada T, Inui G, Yamasaki A Front Med (Lausanne). 2024; 11:1305638.

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Determinants of Severe Asthma - A Long-Term Cohort Study in Northern Sweden.

Backman H, Stridsman C, Hedman L, Ronnebjerg L, Nwaru B, Sandstrom T J Asthma Allergy. 2022; 15:1429-1439.

PMID: 36248343 PMC: 9562796. DOI: 10.2147/JAA.S376806.

Influence of Childhood Asthma and Allergies on Occupational Exposure in Early Adulthood: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Dumas O, Le Moual N, Lowe A, Lodge C, Zock J, Kromhout H Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(12).

PMID: 31248069 PMC: 6617119. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16122163.

Clustering asthma symptoms and cleaning and disinfecting activities and evaluating their associations among healthcare workers.

Su F, Friesen M, Humann M, Stefaniak A, Stanton M, Liang X Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2019; 222(5):873-883.

PMID: 31010790 PMC: 6883647. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.04.001.

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