General characteristics of the derivation and the validation set
| Derivation set (n=472) | Validation set (n=79) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age (mean (SD)) | 34.4 (9.4) | 28.8 (10.2) |
| Male workers (n (%)) | 293 (62) | 33 (42) |
| Sensitised to laboratory animal allergens (n (%)) | 129 (27) | 19 (24) |
| Employment years (last employer) (mean (SD)) | 8.3 (8.9) | 5.0 (9.5) |
| Total years exposed to laboratory animals (mean (SD)) | 11.5 (10.0) | 5.8 (9.1) |
| Hours/week worked with mice (mean (SD)) | 5.3 (9.0) | 4.9 (7.6) |
| Hours/week worked with rats (mean (SD)) | 8.5 (10.4) | 6.8 (10.2) |
| History of asthmatic attacks (n (%)) | 66 (14) | 9 (11) |
| History of allergic symptoms (n (%)) | 131 (28) | 20 (25) |
| Symptoms suggesting hyperresponsiveness (n (%)) | 192 (41) | 24 (30) |
| Standardised residual FEV1/FVC ≤−1.64 (n (%)) | 27/459 (6) | 7/69 (10) |
| Current smoker (n (%)) | 127 (27) | 22 (28) |
| Doctors visit for allergic complaints (n (%)) | 31 (07) | 8 (10) |
| Absenteeism for allergic diseases (n (%)) | 9 (2) | 3 (4) |
| Allergic symptoms during work (n (%)) | 152 (32) | 28 (35) |
| Allergic symptoms after work (n (%)) | 73 (16) | 8 (10) |
| Allergic symptoms in past year (n (%)) | 131 (28) | 20 (26) |
| Positive SPT to one of the non-animal common allergens (house dust mites, grass, tree) (n (%)) | 177 (38) | 24 (30) |
| Positive SPT to one of the animal common allergens (cat, dog) (n (%)) | 121 (26) | 15(19) |
| Total IgE >100 kU/l (n (%)) | 110/471 (23) | 16/55 (29) |