Occupational rhinitis, asthma, and contact urticaria from IgE-mediated allergy to pork. 2019

Soile Jungewelter, and Liisa Airaksinen, and Maria Pesonen
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), Helsinki, Finland.

We describe four cases of slaughterhouse workers with occupational immediate allergy to raw pork allergens, confirmed by positive skin prick testing and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. Our first patient was diagnosed with occupational asthma from raw pork allergens. Two patients were diagnosed with occupational rhinitis caused by raw pork allergens, which was confirmed by a nasal provocation test. One of these also had occupational contact urticaria caused by raw pork meat. We were unable to diagnose an occupational respiratory or skin disease in the fourth patient, despite signs of immediate sensitization to raw pork meat from occupational exposure. Based on proper diagnoses, measures to prevent allergen exposure were taken, which led to the improvement of symptoms in these four patients. The present patient cases highlight the importance of recognition of early signs of occupational allergy and identification of causative allergens in order to allow avoidance of allergens, with the aim of preventing persistence and worsening of symptoms.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007073 Immunoglobulin E An immunoglobulin associated with MAST CELLS. Overexpression has been associated with allergic hypersensitivity (HYPERSENSITIVITY, IMMEDIATE). IgE
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009784 Occupational Diseases Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment. Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000003 Abattoirs Places where animals are slaughtered and dressed for market. Slaughterhouses,Slaughter House,Slaughter Houses,Abattoir,House, Slaughter,Houses, Slaughter,Slaughterhouse
D000069466 Red Meat Meat such as beef, goat, pork, or lamb which contains more MYOGLOBIN than POULTRY or SEAFOOD. Lamb Meat,Veal,Beef,Lamb Meats,Meat, Lamb,Meat, Red,Meats, Lamb,Meats, Red,Red Meats
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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