PMID- 2039743
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19910711
LR  - 20231213
IS  - 0007-1072 (Print)
IS  - 0007-1072 (Linking)
VI  - 48
IP  - 5
DP  - 1991 May
TI  - Factors relating to the development of respiratory symptoms in coffee process 
      workers.
PG  - 314-22
AB  - After several cases of occupational asthma had been reported in a coffee 
      processing factory in England, 197 coffee workers representing 80% of the 
      production workforce were studied to determine the factors affecting the 
      development of work related respiratory symptoms of wheeze, cough, and dyspnoea. 
      Two computer administered questionnaires concerning the presence of respiratory 
      symptoms and the occurrence of work related respiratory symptoms were used. 
      Workers underwent skin prick testing to green coffee bean extract (GCB) and 11 
      common inhalant allergen extracts and bronchial provocation testing with 
      methacholine. The presence of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to GCB 
      and castor bean extract (CAB) were determined by a radioallergosorbent test 
      (RAST). The prevalence of work related respiratory symptoms was 12.7%, bronchial 
      hyperresponsiveness 30%, atopy 54%, positive GCB skin prick test 14.7%, positive 
      GCB RAST 14%, and positive CAB RAST 14.7%. None of the workers was sensitised to 
      fungi present in the factory and the numbers of certain species of fungi, despite 
      being greater than may be found out of doors or in an uncontaminated indoor 
      environment, were fewer than are generally associated with the presence of work 
      related respiratory symptoms among agricultural workers. Storage mites were not 
      isolated. Green coffee bean extract and CAB RAST were significantly correlated 
      using the McNemar test but there was limited allergenic cross reactivity in RAST 
      inhibition studies of the two extracts. The only factors that were significantly 
      and independently associated with work related symptoms were CAB RAST and 
      duration of employment. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness was not independently 
      associated with work related respiratory symptoms. The significant independent 
      associations of bronchial hyperresponsiveness included GCB RAST, duration of 
      employment, and resting forced expiratory volume in one second. Exposure to CAB, 
      a highly potent antigen, may be overriding the effects of other factors such a 
      GCB, atopy, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and smoking. This study suggests that 
      CAB contamination remains a potential problem in the coffee processing industry 
      and all efforts to eliminate it from the working environment should continue.
FAU - Thomas, K E
AU  - Thomas KE
AD  - Academic Department of Respiratory Medicine, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
FAU - Trigg, C J
AU  - Trigg CJ
FAU - Baxter, P J
AU  - Baxter PJ
FAU - Topping, M
AU  - Topping M
FAU - Lacey, J
AU  - Lacey J
FAU - Crook, B
AU  - Crook B
FAU - Whitehead, P
AU  - Whitehead P
FAU - Bennett, J B
AU  - Bennett JB
FAU - Davies, R J
AU  - Davies RJ
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - England
TA  - Br J Ind Med
JT  - British journal of industrial medicine
JID - 0370637
RN  - 0 (Coffee)
RN  - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Asthma/diagnosis/etiology
MH  - Bronchial Provocation Tests
MH  - Ricinus communis/immunology
MH  - Coffee/*adverse effects
MH  - *Food-Processing Industry
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hypersensitivity, Immediate/diagnosis/*etiology/immunology
MH  - Immunoglobulin E/analysis
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Occupational Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/immunology
MH  - Occupational Exposure/*adverse effects
MH  - Plants, Toxic
MH  - Radioallergosorbent Test
MH  - Respiratory Hypersensitivity/diagnosis/*etiology/immunology
MH  - Skin Tests/methods
PMC - PMC1012039
EDAT- 1991/05/01 00:00
MHDA- 1991/05/01 00:01
PMCR- 1991/05/01
CRDT- 1991/05/01 00:00
PHST- 1991/05/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1991/05/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1991/05/01 00:00 [entrez]
PHST- 1991/05/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1136/oem.48.5.314 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Br J Ind Med. 1991 May;48(5):314-22. doi: 10.1136/oem.48.5.314.