Work-related skin symptoms and type I allergy among eastern-Polish farmersgrowing hops and other crops

73 eastern-Polish farmers growing hops and other crops were examined. They were questioned by a dermatologist and subsequently skin prick-tested with allergens of hops, grain dust, straw dust, hay dust, storage mites, and ant igens of microorganisms typical for farm environment. Results: 14 farmers ( 19.2%) complained of work-related skin symptoms, caused most often by hops (11%), followed by grain (5.6%), hay (5.5%) and straw (4.1%). Five farmers (6.8%) complained of hand dermatitis, lour (5.5%) of airborne dermatitis, a nd eight (11.0%) of pruritus. In two farmers, two skin diseases co-existed. The skin symptoms were mostly mild, however, one case of severe invalidati ng airborne dermatitis to hops was found. On skin prick tests, 14 farmers ( 19.2%) showed positive skin reaction to at least one allergen; 5.5% of farm ers reacted to grain dust, 5.5% to straw dust, 11% to hay dust, and 8.2% to hops. Tests with storage mites showed positive reactions to Acarus siro in 9.6%, Lepidoglyphus destructor in 17.8%, and to Tyrophagus putrescentiae i n 13.7%. Tests with microbial allergens elicited positive reactions to Pant oea agglomerans in 4.1%, Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula in 4.1%, Aspergillu s fumigatus in 4.1% and to Streptomyces albus in 1.4% of farmers. Although results of skin prick tests in general did not correlate well with the work -related skin symptoms, in three of 14 farmers with skin symptoms the tests results played a crucial role in identifying the cause of their work-relat ed skin disease.