PMID- 23749803
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20140204
LR  - 20161125
IS  - 1471-8405 (Electronic)
IS  - 0962-7480 (Linking)
VI  - 63
IP  - 5
DP  - 2013 Jul
TI  - Occupational egg allergy in an embryological research facility.
PG  - 348-53
LID - 10.1093/occmed/kqt066 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Hen and quail eggs are commonly used in embryological research. While 
      immunoglobin E (IgE)-associated allergy to hens' egg proteins is recognized in 
      employees in the food industry, there are no previous reports from workers in 
      embryological research. Two newly identified cases prompted us to examine the 
      extent of this problem in a university laboratory. AIMS: To determine the 
      prevalence and determinants of sensitization to egg among a group of workers in 
      an embryological research laboratory. METHODS: Following the identification of 
      egg sensitization in two research workers, we surveyed 116 employees from a 
      single embryology research laboratory in 2005. Sensitization to egg was assessed 
      by skin prick tests and/or specific IgE measurement and examined in relation to a 
      number of potential determinants, including the extent of appropriate control 
      measures. RESULTS: Four employees were sensitized to egg, each with digestive 
      symptoms of egg allergy. All had worked directly with eggs, giving a prevalence 
      of specific sensitization in that group of 6.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 
      [1.7%, 14.8%]). There was a statistically significant trend for those sensitized 
      to report a shorter duration of exposure to eggs and less frequent use of hygiene 
      control measures to reduce exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Sensitization to eggs among 
      those occupationally exposed to egg protein in research work occurs more commonly 
      than in the general population. The presence of digestive symptoms after eating 
      eggs may be indicative of sensitization to egg and should be incorporated into 
      health evaluation of exposed workers.
FAU - Jones, M
AU  - Jones M
AD  - Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Imperial College, London, 
      UK. Meinir.jones@imperial.ac.uk
FAU - Skidmore, A
AU  - Skidmore A
FAU - Glozier, N
AU  - Glozier N
FAU - Welch, J
AU  - Welch J
FAU - Hunter, A S
AU  - Hunter AS
FAU - Cullinan, P
AU  - Cullinan P
LA  - eng
PT  - Case Reports
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20130607
PL  - England
TA  - Occup Med (Lond)
JT  - Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)
JID - 9205857
RN  - 0 (Egg Proteins)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aged
MH  - Animals
MH  - *Biomedical Research
MH  - Chick Embryo
MH  - *Chickens
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - Egg Hypersensitivity/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology
MH  - Egg Proteins/*immunology
MH  - Embryology
MH  - Esophageal Diseases/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Mouth Mucosa/*immunology
MH  - Occupational Diseases/*diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology
MH  - Occupational Exposure
MH  - Prevalence
MH  - *Quail
MH  - Skin Tests
MH  - United Kingdom/epidemiology
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Allergy
OT  - occupational epidemiology
OT  - occupational respiratory disease.
EDAT- 2013/06/12 06:00
MHDA- 2014/02/05 06:00
CRDT- 2013/06/11 06:00
PHST- 2013/06/11 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2013/06/12 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2014/02/05 06:00 [medline]
AID - kqt066 [pii]
AID - 10.1093/occmed/kqt066 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Occup Med (Lond). 2013 Jul;63(5):348-53. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqt066. Epub 2013 
      Jun 7.