WHEAT SENSITIZATION AND WORK-RELATED SYMPTOMS IN THE BAKING INDUSTRY ARE PREVENTABLE - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 393 workers from 21 bakeri es to study the relationship between wheat allergen exposure and wheat sensitization and work-related allergic symptoms. exposure to wheat a llergens was characterized by a recently developed and validated immun oassay. Specific IgE antibodies against wheat flour and common allerge ns were measured by immunoassays, and work-related allergic symptoms w ere registered by questionnaire. A strong and positive association was found between wheat flour allergen exposure and wheat flour sensitiza tion. This relationship was steepest and strangest in atopics. prevale nce ratios for high and medium wheat allergen exposure were 5.2 (95% c onfidence interval [CI], 1.6-16.2), and 2.7 (0.5-14.5) for atopic work ers, and 2.5 (0.8-7.5) and 1.4 (0.3-6.4) for nonatopics, compared with workers with low wheat allergen exposure. In sensitized bakers those with an elevated allergen exposure had more often work-related symptom s, with prevalence ratios for high and medium wheat allergen exposure of 3.5 (Cl 1.6-7.5) and 2.6 (CI 0.9-7.8), respectively, compared with workers with low wheat allergen exposure. The existence of exposure-se nsitization gradients suggests that work-related sensitization risk wi ll be negligible when exposure levels will be reduced to average expos ure concentration of 0.2 mu g/m(3) wheat allergen or approximately 0.5 mg/m(3) inhalable dust during a work shift.