Airborne allergens

Even when a process deals with killed cells so that the viability of cells in the airborne state can be ignored, aerosols of bacterial antigen may still pose a significant hazard. 

According to most authors the mass concentration of the airborne material is the important measure in allergic response and not the number concentration irrespective of the particle size, but Muir suggests that the intensity of the antigen stimulus to the mucosa is closely related to particle size because this determines the site of action in the respiratory tract. 

The allergic manifestations depend upon the concentration of antibody and antigen at a particular site and on the sensitivity of the tissues at that point to substances such as histamine. The differential deposition of inhaled antigens in various parts of the respiratory tract as a function of the particle size of the inhaled particles results in localised concentrations of 

The rate at which an insoluble particle is removed from the lung is also a function of the site of its deposition and hence of its size. Those penetrating to the alveoli are removed very slowly and thus exert an antigenic stimulus out of all proportion to their total mass. Those allergens deposited on the ciliated epithelium nearer to the terminal bronchioles take longer to be expelled than those which are trapped in the trachea, whereas those deposited in the nasal areas may be removed in minutes. 

It is not known why some airborne pollens and fungi cause symptoms and others do not. Nor is there any way of predicting this other than by clinical assessment of each in turn. In general, however, those pollens and moulds which are present in greatest airborne concentrations for the longest period of time have been found to be the most common cause of symptoms. 

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The problem of allergies has increased during the last few years. The tendency to develop allergies and asthma is not well understood, but a number of pollutants can trigger the reaction, for instance, airborne allergens such as pollen,... 

Blackcurrants are being studied in laboratory experiments to test for potential activity against heart disease, cancer, microbial infections, and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer s disease. In a 2008 study in Italy, blackcurrants were used in a nutraceutical product called Pantescal to study subjects allergic to common airborne allergens, revealing that allergy biomarkers were decreased by the treatment. 

Dutkiewicz, J., Skorska, C., Milanowski, J., Mackiewicz, B., Krysinska-Traczyk, E., Dutkiewicz, E., Matuszyk, A., Sitkowska, J., and Golec, M. 2001. Response of herb processing workers to work-related airborne allergens. Arm. Agriculture Environ. Med 8, 275-283. 

Backman A, Bjorksten F, llmonen S, Juntunen K, Suoniemi 1 Do infections in infancy affect sensitization to airborne allergens and development of atopic disease A retrospective study of seven-year-old children. Allergy 1984 39 309-315. 

Lestringant GG, Bener A, Frossard PM, Abdulkhalik S, Bouix G A clinical study of airborne allergens in the United Arab Emirates. Allerg Immunol (Paris) 1999 31 263-267. 

Sensitisation to airborne allergens demonstrated by IgE antibodies in serum or positive skin test reactions in an otherwise healthy individual has been demonstrated not only to be predictive of food allergy but also of other IgE-mediated diseases like asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis. 

Carswell F, Oliver J, Weeks J Do rrrite avoidance measures affect rrrite and cat airborne allergens Clin Exp Allergy 1999 29 193-200. (Ib)... 

The clinical role for omalizumab is in the treatment of allergic asthma. It is approved for the treatment of adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older whose symptoms are not controlled with inhaled glucocorticoids and who have a positive skin test for airborne allergens. The bioavailability after subcutaneous administration is 62%, with slow absorption resulting in... 

Sensitizers, on first exposure, cause little or no harm in humans or test animals, but on repeated exposure, they may cause a marked response not necessarily limited to the contact site. This response is similar to the process that occurs in allergies that humans develop. It is a physiological reaction to a sensitizing material. Eor example, a person who moves into an area that has high pollen counts and other airborne allergens may not experience any effects at first, but the longer the exposure occurs, the more symptoms that develop. Examples of sensitizers are isocyanates and epoxy resins. 

X Baur, J Ammon, Z Chen, U Beckmann, AB Czuppon. Health risk in hospitals through airborne allergens for patients presensitized to latex. Lancet 342(6) 1148-1149, 1993. 

Muir, D.C.F. (1973). Airborne Allergens in Clinical Aspects of Inhaled Particles. (Muir, D.C.F. ed). William Heinemann Medical Books London. 

True (or direct) contact allergic contact dermatitis. Asymmetry of facial lesions is a clinical sign in favour of true (or direct) allergic contact this assertion must be cautious, due to the fact that some airborne allergens can be sprayed on the face in an asymmetrical way at the workplace. 

The increased risk of hand eczema seems to depend on multiple factors. Exposure to common irritating factors, wet work, detergents, chemicals, dirt and mechanical friction are the most common causes for the development of hand eczema at work. Exposure to airborne allergens or irritants can also lead to dermatitis. In addition, working at jobs in which there are changes in temperature and humidity or working in ways that lead to extensive sweating increase risk of dermatitis. 

Photosensitivity has been suggested as a factor in chrome allergy, if only because many patients have their dermatitis on the exposed areas. This might be expected in a substance that is a potential airborne allergen (El Sayed and Bazex 1994)- Goh (1986a), however, found little chromate in the atmosphere of a Singapore cement construction factory and a busy city center. 

The clinical symptoms of NRL allergy usually arise from direct contact with a NRL product but may also result from inhalation of airborne allergens bound to e.g. glove powder. The most frequently reported manifestation is contact urticaria, followed by rhino-conjunctivitis (Table 2). Mucosal swelling is a typical symptom after oral, vaginal or rectal exposure to NRL products, such as balloons, gloves and condoms. The systemic reactions consist of generalized urticaria. 

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