IGE antibodies to swine antigens in the sera of pork processors.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baron, Sherry L. ; Bledsoe, ToniA ; Lenhart, Steven W. ; Lewis, Daniel M.
• Description:
  As part of an investigation of respiratory illness among workers at a pork processing facility, we obtained serum samples from 37 workers and bulk samples of substances to which the workers were exposed. The serum samples were analyzed for total IgE content by a commercial radioimmunoassay (PRIST), and for specific IgE antibodies by the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) using extracts of swine urine, serum, blood, and dander coupled to cyanogen bromide-activated cellulose beads. A sample was considered positive if the binding to the antigen-coated beads was at least twice the binding to human serum albumin-coated beads. By this criteria, IgE antibodies to one or more antigens was detected in 28 (75.7 percent) of the sera tested. All 28 sera reacted with the whole blood extract, while 16 reacted with the dander, 10 with the urine, and 8 with the serum. No correlation between the total lgE content and specific IgE antibodies was observed. By questionnaire, 25 of the subjects were symptomatic for respiratory disease; 14 of these subjects had abnormal serial peak flow measurements. The antibody data was analyzed with respect to the symptoms and peak flow finding, and revealed that 9 of 14 (64 percent) symptomatic with abnormal peak flow measurements had lgE antibodies while 10 of 11 (91 percent) of symptomatic with normal peak flow measurement had IgE antibodies. These results demonstrate that pork processing workers develop IgE antibodies to swine antigens, and that antibody activity may correlate with symptoms but not impaired pulmonary function.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Biochemistry Carcinogens Food Handling Food Industry Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural-industry Agricultural-workers Albumin Animals Antibodies Blood Blood Serum Bromides Cellulose Confined Spaces Cyanogen Environmental Exposure Epidemiology Hazards Health-programs Humans Industrial-hazards Men Questionnaires Respiratory Diseases Respiratory System Disorders Safety-practices Sampling Statistical Analysis Toxic-effects Urine Women Worker-health

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• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies ; DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  549
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055983
• Citation:
  Papers and Proceedings of the Surgeon General's Conference on Agricultural Safety and Health (FarmSafe 2000). Myers ML, Herrick RF, Olenchock SA, Myers JR, Parker, John E., Hard DL, Wilson K, eds. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 92-105, 1992 Sep; :549
• Editor(s):
  Myers ML ; Herrick RF ; Olenchock SA ; Myers JR ; Parker, John E. ; Hard DL ; Wilson K
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1992
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Papers and Proceedings of the Surgeon General's Conference on Agricultural Safety and Health (FarmSafe 2000), April 30-May 3, 1991, Des Moines, Iowa
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:379d24c019ffcebebaabcd04eac92b39af612f0315205df582a824f58d4471bb3878e1a84f515cef8f7a78b4b065b51c0c07ccb0a2d80ae7e0da170b85595c71
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181755/cdc_181755_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 61.50 KB ]