Winck J C, Delgado L, Vanzeller M, Guimarães T, Torres S, Sapage J M
Hospital de São João and Faculdade de Medicina-Universidade do Porto-4200 Porto, Portugal.
Allerg Immunol (Paris). 2002 Jun;34(6):199-203.
Suberosis is an occupational lung disease of cork workers associated with repeated exposure to mouldy cork dust in the cork industry, usually presenting as an interstitial lung disorder (Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis). However, Occupational Asthma can also be associated with cork dust exposure and demonstrated by serial peak expiratory flow changes.
To investigate broncho-alveolar inflammation in patients with cork work-related occupational asthma, evaluated by Broncho-alveolar fluid cellular profiles and serial peak expiratory flow (PEF) rates monitoring.
We studied 14 patients with respiratory symptoms associated with occupational exposure in the cork industry. Positive PEF monitoring occurred in 7 cases (Occupational Asthma-OA), and in 7 (Non-occupational asthmatics-NOA) PEF records were negative. There were no differences in age, lung function (FEV1%, RV%), bronchial hyperresponsiveness, years of exposure, and atopy between the two patients groups. However, patients with work-related asthma had higher BAL eosinophil counts than NOA (1.9 +/- 2.6% versus 0.2 +/- 0.3%; p < 0.05, Wilcoxon test).
Cork worker's asthma, demonstrated by work related changes in serial PEF recordings, is associated with eosinophilic lung inflammation as described in other forms of occupational asthma.
橡木尘肺是一种与软木行业工人反复接触发霉软木粉尘相关的职业性肺病，通常表现为间质性肺病（外源性过敏性肺泡炎）。然而，职业性哮喘也可能与接触软木粉尘有关，并可通过连续的呼气峰值流速变化来证实。
通过支气管肺泡灌洗液体细胞分析和连续呼气峰值流速（PEF）率监测，研究与软木工作相关的职业性哮喘患者的支气管肺泡炎症。
我们研究了14例与软木行业职业接触相关的呼吸道症状患者。7例（职业性哮喘 - OA）PEF监测呈阳性，7例（非职业性哮喘患者 - NOA）PEF记录呈阴性。两组患者在年龄、肺功能（FEV1%、RV%）、支气管高反应性、接触年限和特应性方面无差异。然而，与工作相关的哮喘患者的支气管肺泡灌洗嗜酸性粒细胞计数高于非职业性哮喘患者（1.9±2.6%对0.2±0.3%；p<0.05，Wilcoxon检验）。
如连续PEF记录的工作相关变化所证实的软木工人哮喘，与其他形式的职业性哮喘中所描述的嗜酸性粒细胞性肺炎症有关。
