Interaction of smoking and atopy in producing specific IgE antibody against a hapten protein conjugate.

Abstract

A survey was carried out of a population of workers exposed to tetrachlorophthalic anhydride, an acid anhydride epoxy resin curing agent known to cause asthma. Using a radioallergosorbent test with a tetrachlorophthalic anhydride human serum albumin conjugate, specific IgE antibody was detected in serum from 24 out of 300 factory floor workers exposed to tetrachlorophthalic anhydride. Of these 24, 20 (83-3%) were current smokers compared with 133 (48 2%) of 276 without antibody (p <0 01), and there was a weaker association with atopy, defined by skin tests with common allergens. Smoking and atopy interacted, the prevalence of antibody being 16 1% in atopic smokers, 11-7% in non-atopic smokers, 8-3% in atopic non-smokers, and nil in non-atopic non-smokers (p <0 025). Smoking may predispose to, and interact with atopy in, the production of specific IgE antibody to this hapten protein conjugate.

Specific antibodies against methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride and risk factors for sensitization in occupationally exposed subjects

“…Studies of occupational allergy demonstrate that the greater the exposure, the higher the prevalence of sensitization (5). Similar relationships have been documented in association with coffee beans (6), ispaghula (6), and tetrachlorophthalic anhydride (TCPA) (7). Most workers sensitized to these haptens have been smokers.…”

“…There are conflicting reports on the effect of the duration of exposure on the production of specific IgE antibodies in workers exposed to acid anhydride (7,18,21). Zeiss et a1 (21) stated that the presence or absence of an antibody response was not simply the result of exposure time but was related to as yet unidentified host characteristics.…”

Risk factors for bronchial hyperresponsiveness in workers exposed to acid anhydrides

“…Associations between specific IgE and work related respiratory symptoms or BHR have been more difficult to show in workplace based studies. This may be because affected workers have left the site by the time the survey is completed [11] or because a low threshold for defining an IgE response was chosen [23,24]. The current authors believe that the present report is the first to show an epidemiological association of an immediate skin test reaction to AA with BHR.…”

“…Inhalation of these chemicals may cause asthma that is frequently associated with specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E directed at conjugates of acid anhydrides with human serum albumin (HSA) [10]. The risk of sensitization may be related to exposure, cigarette smoking and major histocompatibility complex class II antigens [11,12].…”

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008*

“…These materials are typically burnt in simple stoves with a very incomplete combustion. Consequently, women and young children are exposed to high levels of indoor air pollution every day, resulting in an estimated 1.5-2.0 million premature deaths a year and a high prevalence of COPD (698,710 (712)(713)(714)(715)(716) and the IgE sensitization to some occupational allergens (717)(718)(719). However, in the absence of longitudinal studies, it is difficult to establish whether smoking is a causative factor of allergy or not (714,720).…”