Univariate characteristics of sensitisation in the derivation set
| Sensitisation present (n=129) | Sensitisation absent (n=343) | |
|---|---|---|
| *p<0.05,t test; †p<0.05, χ2 test. | ||
| Age (y, mean (SD)) | 34.0 (9.1) | 34.6 (9.5) |
| Male workers (n (%)) | 88 (68) | 205 (60) |
| Employment years (last employer, mean (SD)) | 8.4 (8.8) | 8.2 (9.0) |
| Total years exposed to laboratory animals (mean (SD)) | 11.2 (9.8) | 11.5 (10.1) |
| Hours/week worked with mice (mean (SD)) | 4.6 (8.8) | 5.6 (9.1) |
| Hours/week worked with rats (mean (SD)) | 10.2 (11.5) | 7.9 (9.9)* |
| History of asthmatic attacks (n (%)) | 38 (30) | 28 (8)† |
| History of allergic symptoms (n (%)) | 67 (52) | 139 (41)† |
| Symptoms suggesting hyperresponsiveness (n (%)) | 62/128 (48) | 130 (38)† |
| Standardised residuals FEV1/FVC ≤−1.64 (n (%)) | 8/128 (6) | 19/331 (6) |
| Current smoker (n (%)) | 36 (28) | 91/342 (27) |
| Doctors visit for allergic complaints (n (%)) | 18 (14) | 13 (4)† |
| Absenteeism for allergic diseases (n (%)) | 7 (6) | 2 (0.6)† |
| Allergic symptoms during work (n (%)) | 79 (61) | 73 (21)† |
| Allergic symptoms after work (n (%)) | 39/128 (31) | 34 (10)† |
| Allergic symptoms in past year (n (%)) | 71/127 (56) | 60 (18)† |
| Positive SPT to one of the non-animal common allergens (n (%)) | 89 (69) | 88 (26)† |
| Positive SPT to one of the animal common allergens (n (%)) | 77 (60) | 44 (13)† |
| Total IgE >100 kU/l (n (%)) | 56 (43) | 54/342 (16)† |
| Positive IgE to one of the non-animal common allergens (n (%)) | 72(56) | 79/341 (23)† |
| Positive IgE to one of the animal common allergens (n (%)) | 33 (26) | 13/341 (4)† |