ALLERGIC-ASTHMA TO BACILLUS-SUBTILIS ENZYME - A MODEL FOR THE EFFECTSOF INHALABLE PROTEINS

The passage of 24 years since the diagnosis of allergic asthma in heav ily exposed workers and in a few consumers due to dusty enzyme prepara tions of Bacillus subtilis compounded with laundry powder makes it pos sible to review objectively the many problems it raised. It emphasizes the lessons to be learned, relevant to inhalable enzyme products and to other inhalable proteins in general. Occupational allergic respirat ory diseases were little studied at the time and the enzyme problems s timulated interest in what has now become a well-established and impor tant field of medicine involving not only protein allergens but low mo lecular weight chemicals as well.