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Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study

OBJECTIVES: To study snow crab sensitization, occupational allergy and asthma in the snow crab industry in Greenland, as high rates have been found in Canada, but no reports have emerged from the same industry in Greenland. STUDY DESIGN: Pilot survey. METHODS: Twenty workers (19 of Inuit and 1 of ot...

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Autores principales: Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort, Gautrin, Denyse, Sigsgaard, Torben, Lehrer, Samuel B., Maghni, Karim, Cartier, André
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Co-Action Publishing 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4981752/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22901288
http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.19126
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author Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort
Gautrin, Denyse
Sigsgaard, Torben
Lehrer, Samuel B.
Maghni, Karim
Cartier, André
author_facet Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort
Gautrin, Denyse
Sigsgaard, Torben
Lehrer, Samuel B.
Maghni, Karim
Cartier, André
author_sort Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort
collection PubMed
description OBJECTIVES: To study snow crab sensitization, occupational allergy and asthma in the snow crab industry in Greenland, as high rates have been found in Canada, but no reports have emerged from the same industry in Greenland. STUDY DESIGN: Pilot survey. METHODS: Twenty workers (19 of Inuit and 1 of other origin) in a snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and Atlantic shrimp (Pandalus borealis) processing plant in Greenland were assessed with skin prick tests (SPTs) with common aeroallergens and specific allergens from snow crab and shrimp extracts, spirometry, blood sampling for total IgE and specific IgE determination. Eighteen workers contributed a questionnaire-based medical interview. RESULTS: Positive skin prick test reactions were common to snow crab (40%) and shrimp (20%). Specific IgE to snow crab were positive in 4 workers (21%). Two workers had elevated total IgE levels. Symptoms suggestive of asthma were common (45%). Work-related symptoms of skin rash, rhinitis, and/or conjunctivitis were reported by 50%, and symptoms from the lower airways by 39%. Combining history of work-related symptoms with results from specific SPTs and/or specific IgE determination suggested that 11 and 22% of workers suffered from probable and possible occupational asthma, respectively, whereas 22% had possible occupational dermatitis or rhinitis. CONCLUSIONS: Greenlander Inuit do not appear to be protected against sensitization to snow crab or shrimp when occupationally exposed to these. This pilot study suggests that occupational allergy and asthma may be as common a problem in Greenlandic workers as in Canadian.
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spelling pubmed-49817522016-09-07 Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort Gautrin, Denyse Sigsgaard, Torben Lehrer, Samuel B. Maghni, Karim Cartier, André Int J Circumpolar Health Original Research Article OBJECTIVES: To study snow crab sensitization, occupational allergy and asthma in the snow crab industry in Greenland, as high rates have been found in Canada, but no reports have emerged from the same industry in Greenland. STUDY DESIGN: Pilot survey. METHODS: Twenty workers (19 of Inuit and 1 of other origin) in a snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and Atlantic shrimp (Pandalus borealis) processing plant in Greenland were assessed with skin prick tests (SPTs) with common aeroallergens and specific allergens from snow crab and shrimp extracts, spirometry, blood sampling for total IgE and specific IgE determination. Eighteen workers contributed a questionnaire-based medical interview. RESULTS: Positive skin prick test reactions were common to snow crab (40%) and shrimp (20%). Specific IgE to snow crab were positive in 4 workers (21%). Two workers had elevated total IgE levels. Symptoms suggestive of asthma were common (45%). Work-related symptoms of skin rash, rhinitis, and/or conjunctivitis were reported by 50%, and symptoms from the lower airways by 39%. Combining history of work-related symptoms with results from specific SPTs and/or specific IgE determination suggested that 11 and 22% of workers suffered from probable and possible occupational asthma, respectively, whereas 22% had possible occupational dermatitis or rhinitis. CONCLUSIONS: Greenlander Inuit do not appear to be protected against sensitization to snow crab or shrimp when occupationally exposed to these. This pilot study suggests that occupational allergy and asthma may be as common a problem in Greenlandic workers as in Canadian. Co-Action Publishing 2012-08-07 /pmc/articles/PMC4981752/ /pubmed/22901288 http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.19126 Text en © 2012 Jakob Hjort Bønløkke et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License, permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Original Research Article
Bønløkke, Jakob Hjort
Gautrin, Denyse
Sigsgaard, Torben
Lehrer, Samuel B.
Maghni, Karim
Cartier, André
Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study
title Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study
title_full Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study
title_fullStr Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study
title_full_unstemmed Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study
title_short Snow crab allergy and asthma among Greenlandic workers – a pilot study
title_sort snow crab allergy and asthma among greenlandic workers – a pilot study
topic Original Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4981752/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22901288
http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v71i0.19126
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