LETTER

Response to a case of occupational asthma due to the enzymes phytase and ß-glucanase

A Zober¹, K Strassburger¹, X Baur²

¹ Occupational Medicine and Health Protection Department, BASF Aktiengesellschaft, D-67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
² University of Hamburg 22083 Hamburg, Germany

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor A Zober
andreas.zober@basf-ag.de

Keywords: occupational asthma; phytase; ß-glucanase

In their recent short report, O'Connor et al¹ describe a case of occupational asthma due to the enzymes phytase and ß-glucanase. Their patient experienced asthma-like symptoms at work (wheezing and cough), had positive skin prick tests and specific IgE to both enzymes (by radioallergosorbent test), and reacted to both materials in separate inhalation challenge tests. None of 22 other employees in the same factory were reported to have experienced respiratory symptoms at work.¹

In a German language paper presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the German Association of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 1998,² we reported findings of a systematic clinical investigation of 49 research and development employees working with the enzymes phytase and xylanase. This investigation was undertaken after detecting airway sensitisation to dusts containing phytase in two analytical laboratory employees.

Forty nine employees with potential contact to the enzyme completed a questionnaire and underwent physical examination and . . . [Full text of this article]

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