PMID- 7550796
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19951109
LR  - 20190503
IS  - 1351-0711 (Print)
IS  - 1470-7926 (Electronic)
IS  - 1351-0711 (Linking)
VI  - 52
IP  - 9
DP  - 1995 Sep
TI  - Oilseed rape and bronchial reactivity.
PG  - 575-80
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To investigate atopy and changes in symptoms, peak flow rate, and 
      bronchial reactivity in people complaining of symptoms during the oilseed rape 
      flowering season. METHODS: 37 people who had given positive answers to questions 
      about the presence of symptoms in relation to the flowering season of oilseed 
      rape and 24 controls with no such symptoms were studied, although not all took 
      part in all parts of the study. All had been previously identified in a cross 
      sectional survey of a random sample of a rural population. Atopy was assessed by 
      means of skin prick tests, total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and radioallergosorbent 
      test (RAST) assays. Bronchial reactivity (PC20) was measured by histamine 
      challenge. Total IgE and bronchial reactivity were measured both before and 
      during the oilseed rape flowering season. Day to day changes were monitored by 
      subjects who kept a record of their symptoms and peak flow morning and evening, 
      starting before the flowering season and continuing during it and into the grass 
      pollen season. RESULTS: Only two cases, of 23 tested, showed evidence of allergy 
      to oilseed rape and only 10 of 23 tested, including these two, were atopic. Eye, 
      nasal, and headache symptoms increased in the season in cases, which validated 
      the questionnaire used in the previous cross sectional survey. 12 of 16 cases 
      tested and seven of 15 controls showed a seasonal fall in PC20; the fall in the 
      cases was significantly greater than in the controls. Peak flow charts showed no 
      evidence of fall or of increased variability during the season. CONCLUSIONS: 
      People who complained of symptoms in relation to the flowering of oilseed rape 
      were rarely allergic to the plant and fewer than half were atopic. Nevertheless, 
      they usually showed increased bronchial reactivity during the season, which may 
      have been due in some cases to other allergens but in others to non-specific 
      irritant effects of the air. Whether these are due to chemicals released by the 
      crop, to rising summer ozone levels, or to other factors remains unclear.
FAU - Soutar, A
AU  - Soutar A
AD  - Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University Medical School, 
      Foresterhill, Aberdeen.
FAU - Harker, C
AU  - Harker C
FAU - Seaton, A
AU  - Seaton A
FAU - Packe, G
AU  - Packe G
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - England
TA  - Occup Environ Med
JT  - Occupational and environmental medicine
JID - 9422759
RN  - 0 (Allergens)
RN  - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E)
RN  - 820484N8I3 (Histamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Allergens/*immunology
MH  - Brassica/*immunology
MH  - Bronchial Hyperreactivity/*immunology
MH  - Case-Control Studies
MH  - Female
MH  - Forced Expiratory Volume
MH  - Histamine
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hypersensitivity, Immediate/*immunology
MH  - Immunoglobulin E/blood
MH  - Intradermal Tests
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Radioallergosorbent Test
MH  - Respiratory Hypersensitivity/immunology
PMC - PMC1128309
EDAT- 1995/09/01 00:00
MHDA- 1995/09/01 00:01
PMCR- 1995/09/01
CRDT- 1995/09/01 00:00
PHST- 1995/09/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1995/09/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1995/09/01 00:00 [entrez]
PHST- 1995/09/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1136/oem.52.9.575 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Occup Environ Med. 1995 Sep;52(9):575-80. doi: 10.1136/oem.52.9.575.