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Original article
Wheat IgE profiling and wheat IgE levels in bakers with allergic occupational phenotypes
  1. Mario Olivieri1,
  2. Carlo Alberto Biscardo1,
  3. Paola Palazzo2,
  4. Sandra Pahr3,4,
  5. Giovanni Malerba5,
  6. Rosetta Ferrara2,
  7. Danila Zennaro2,
  8. Giovanna Zanoni6,
  9. Luciano Xumerle5,
  10. Rudolf Valenta3,4,
  11. Adriano Mari2
  1. 1Unit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  2. 2Center for Molecular Allergology, IDI-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
  3. 3Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Center for Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Infectivology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria
  4. 4Christian Doppler Laboratory for the Development of Allergen Chips, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  5. 5Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics and Section of Pediatrics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  6. 6Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Immunology Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  1. Correspondence to Dr Mario Olivieri, Unità Operativa di Medicina del Lavoro, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Ospedale Policlinico ‘G. Rossi’, Piazzale L. A. Scuro, 10, Verona 371234, Italy; mario.olivieri{at}univr.it

Abstract

Objectives To characterise occupational wheat allergic phenotypes (rhino-conjunctivitis, asthma and dermatitis) and immunoglobulin (IgE) sensitisation to particular wheat allergens in bakers.

Methods We conducted clinical and immunological evaluations of 81 consecutive bakers reporting occupational symptoms using commercial tests (skin prick test (SPT), specific IgE, ISAC microarray) and six additional dot-blotted wheat allergens (Tri a 39, Tri a Trx, Tri a GST, Tri a 32, Tri a 12, Tri a DH).

Results Wheat SPT resulted positive in 29 bakers and was associated with work-related asthma (p<0.01). Wheat IgE was detected in 51 workers and was associated with work-related asthma (p<0.01) and rhino-conjunctivitis (p<0.05). ISAC Tri a 30 was positive in three workers and was associated with work-related dermatitis (p<0.05). Wheat dot-blotted allergens were positive in 22 bakers. Tri a 32 and Tri a GST were positive in 13 and three bakers, respectively, and both were associated with work-related dermatitis (p<0.05). This association increased (p<0.01) when Tri a 32, Tri a GST and Tri a 30 were analysed together (p<0.01). Wheat IgE levels were associated with work-related dermatitis (p<0.01).

Conclusions Wheat IgE levels and wheat microarrayed allergens may be associated with some occupational allergic phenotypes. The extension of the panel of wheat allergens may be promising for discriminating the clinical manifestations of baker's allergy.

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