Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated an excess risk for asthma among cleaning workers. The aim of this analysis was to compare clinical, immunological and functional characteristics associated with asthma in cleaners and other occupational groups. Cleaners, workers exposed to high molecular weight (MW) agents, workers exposed to low MW agents, and office workers were identified from an international community-based epidemiological study. Influence of sex, smoking, age and atopy on the relationships with asthma was investigated. Rates of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopic sensitisation and lung function were compared between asthmatics from the four groups (case-case analysis). The risk for asthma in workers exposed to low MW agents was higher among nonatopics than among atopics. Case-case analysis showed no major differences in asthma characteristics between cleaners and workers exposed to high or low MW agents. Asthmatic cleaners had less atopy, more chronic bronchitis and a lower lung function as compared to office workers. Asthma in cleaning workers showed many similarities with that in workers known to be at risk for occupational asthma. Atopic sensitisation did not seem to play an important role in cleaning-related asthma.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 679-685 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | European Respiratory Journal |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Asthma
- Cleaning
- European Community Respiratory Health Survey
- Occupation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Cite this
Asthma characteristics in cleaning workers, workers in other risk jobs and office workers. / Zock, J. P.; Kogevinas, M.; Sunyer, J.; Jarvis, D.; Torén, K.; Antó, J. M.; Burney, P.; Chinn, S.; Luczynska, C.; Jarvis, D.; Lai, E.; Potts, J.; Abramson, M.; Kutin, J.; Vermeire, P.; van Bastelaer, F.; Magnussen, H.; Nowak, D.; Wichmann, H. E.; Heinrich, J.; Gislason, T.; Gislason, D.; Prichard, J.; Allwright, S.; MacLeod, D.; Bugiani, M.; Bucca, C.; Romano, C.; de Marco lo Cascio, R.; Campello, C.; Marinoni, A.; Cerveri, I.; Casali, L.; Perfetti, L.; Rijcken, B.; Schouten, J. P.; Kerkhof, M.; Boezen, H. M.; Crane, J.; Lewis, S.; Pearce, N.; Gulsvik, A.; Omenaas, E.; Antó, J. M.; Soriano, J.; Kogevinas, M.; Tobías, A.; Roca, J.; Muniozguren, N.; Ramos Gonzalez, J.; Capelastegui, A.; Martínez-Moratalla, J.; Periera, A.; Sánchez, J.; Quirós, J.; Huerta, I.; Boman, G.; Janson, C.; Rosenhall, L.; Norman, E.; Lundbäck, B.; Lindholm, N.; Plaschke, P.; Torén, K.; Künzli, N.; Hall, R.; Harrison, B.; Stark, J.; Buist, S.; Vollmer, W.; Osborne, M.
In: European Respiratory Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, 2002, p. 679-685.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Asthma characteristics in cleaning workers, workers in other risk jobs and office workers
AU - Zock, J. P.
AU - Kogevinas, M.
AU - Sunyer, J.
AU - Jarvis, D.
AU - Torén, K.
AU - Antó, J. M.
AU - Burney, P.
AU - Chinn, S.
AU - Luczynska, C.
AU - Jarvis, D.
AU - Lai, E.
AU - Potts, J.
AU - Abramson, M.
AU - Kutin, J.
AU - Vermeire, P.
AU - van Bastelaer, F.
AU - Magnussen, H.
AU - Nowak, D.
AU - Wichmann, H. E.
AU - Heinrich, J.
AU - Gislason, T.
AU - Gislason, D.
AU - Prichard, J.
AU - Allwright, S.
AU - MacLeod, D.
AU - Bugiani, M.
AU - Bucca, C.
AU - Romano, C.
AU - de Marco lo Cascio, R.
AU - Campello, C.
AU - Marinoni, A.
AU - Cerveri, I.
AU - Casali, L.
AU - Perfetti, L.
AU - Rijcken, B.
AU - Schouten, J. P.
AU - Kerkhof, M.
AU - Boezen, H. M.
AU - Crane, J.
AU - Lewis, S.
AU - Pearce, N.
AU - Gulsvik, A.
AU - Omenaas, E.
AU - Antó, J. M.
AU - Soriano, J.
AU - Kogevinas, M.
AU - Tobías, A.
AU - Roca, J.
AU - Muniozguren, N.
AU - Ramos Gonzalez, J.
AU - Capelastegui, A.
AU - Martínez-Moratalla, J.
AU - Periera, A.
AU - Sánchez, J.
AU - Quirós, J.
AU - Huerta, I.
AU - Boman, G.
AU - Janson, C.
AU - Rosenhall, L.
AU - Norman, E.
AU - Lundbäck, B.
AU - Lindholm, N.
AU - Plaschke, P.
AU - Torén, K.
AU - Künzli, N.
AU - Hall, R.
AU - Harrison, B.
AU - Stark, J.
AU - Buist, S.
AU - Vollmer, W.
AU - Osborne, M.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Several studies have demonstrated an excess risk for asthma among cleaning workers. The aim of this analysis was to compare clinical, immunological and functional characteristics associated with asthma in cleaners and other occupational groups. Cleaners, workers exposed to high molecular weight (MW) agents, workers exposed to low MW agents, and office workers were identified from an international community-based epidemiological study. Influence of sex, smoking, age and atopy on the relationships with asthma was investigated. Rates of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopic sensitisation and lung function were compared between asthmatics from the four groups (case-case analysis). The risk for asthma in workers exposed to low MW agents was higher among nonatopics than among atopics. Case-case analysis showed no major differences in asthma characteristics between cleaners and workers exposed to high or low MW agents. Asthmatic cleaners had less atopy, more chronic bronchitis and a lower lung function as compared to office workers. Asthma in cleaning workers showed many similarities with that in workers known to be at risk for occupational asthma. Atopic sensitisation did not seem to play an important role in cleaning-related asthma.
AB - Several studies have demonstrated an excess risk for asthma among cleaning workers. The aim of this analysis was to compare clinical, immunological and functional characteristics associated with asthma in cleaners and other occupational groups. Cleaners, workers exposed to high molecular weight (MW) agents, workers exposed to low MW agents, and office workers were identified from an international community-based epidemiological study. Influence of sex, smoking, age and atopy on the relationships with asthma was investigated. Rates of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopic sensitisation and lung function were compared between asthmatics from the four groups (case-case analysis). The risk for asthma in workers exposed to low MW agents was higher among nonatopics than among atopics. Case-case analysis showed no major differences in asthma characteristics between cleaners and workers exposed to high or low MW agents. Asthmatic cleaners had less atopy, more chronic bronchitis and a lower lung function as compared to office workers. Asthma in cleaning workers showed many similarities with that in workers known to be at risk for occupational asthma. Atopic sensitisation did not seem to play an important role in cleaning-related asthma.
KW - Asthma
KW - Cleaning
KW - European Community Respiratory Health Survey
KW - Occupation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=18544386050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=18544386050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1183/09031936.02.00279702
DO - 10.1183/09031936.02.00279702
M3 - Article
C2 - 12358347
AN - SCOPUS:18544386050
VL - 20
SP - 679
EP - 685
JO - European Journal of Respiratory Diseases
JF - European Journal of Respiratory Diseases
SN - 0903-1936
IS - 3
ER -