Case Report
Gum Arabic as a Cause of Occupational Allergy
Table 2
The characteristics of four candy factory workers with occupational asthma due to gum arabic.
| | Patient 1 36 year-old woman | Patient 2 54 year-old woman | Patient 3 43 year-old woman | Patient 4 52 year old woman |
| Duration of current work/duration of symptoms (years) | 15/1.5 | 10/6 | 13/3 | 21/10 | Sensitization to common allergens1 | No | no | no | no | S-IgE (kU/l)2 | 78 | 39 | 104 | 338 | SPT to gum arabic (mm)3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | S-IgE to gum arabic (kU/l) | 4.4 | 0.60 | 4.5 | 5.6 | FEV1 liters (% of reference ) | 2.0 (64%) | 2.5 (81%) | 2.6 (86%) | 2.3 (77%) | Compatibility of PEF records in working and free days to occupational asthma4 | not compatible | suggestive | compatible | compatible | Exhaled NO (ppb) | 43 | 21 | 20 | 19 | Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in histamine challenge5 | no | mild | mild | moderate | Bronchial challenge test with gum arabic | positive | positive | not done | positive |
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1Tree, grass and mugwort pollens, cat, dog and horse epithelium, house dust mite, molds, 2Serum total immunoglobulin E level, 3SPT = skin prick test, 4PEF = peak expiratory flow, 5strong hyperresponsiveness: histamine PD15 <0.1 mg, moderate hyperresponsiveness: histamine PD15 0.11–0.4 mg, mild hyperresponsiveness: histamine PD15 = 0.41–1.60 mg, no hyperresponsiveness: histamine PD15 >1.60 mg.
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