Glueck Joshua T, Huneke Richard B, Perez Hernando, Burstyn Igor
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2012;51(5):554-60.
Urine of rats and mice is the main source of allergenic proteins that can enter the respiratory tract of laboratory animal care workers. Little is known about the levels and determinants of these exposures in the United States. We investigated the relationship between activities in animal facilities and levels of personal exposure to allergen by collecting personal breathing zone dust samples from 7 caretakers during full workdays for 1 wk. Mice and rat urinary allergens in inhalable dust were quantified via immunoassay. The activities of the sampled workers were observed, and the methods of preventing exposure to allergens were recorded. Mouse urinary allergen was detected in 20 of 39 measurements, yielding a geometric mean of 0.8 ng/m(3) with a maximum of 24 ng/m(3). Washing and cleaning cages and the number of mice handled daily were the most important determinants of personal exposure to mouse urinary allergen, as identified by using multiple linear regressions that explained 51% of total variance. Personal exposures to mouse urinary allergen were associated with day-to-day variation of tasks rather than characteristics of workers. Where potential for personal exposure is the highest, protective measures (N95 masks and cage dumping stations) appeared to be used, as is appropriate. Rat urinary allergen was detected in 4 of 39 measurements; detectable concentrations were between 0.8 and 39 ng/m(3). Only persons who handled rats were exposed to rat urinary allergen. The current findings are valuable for establishing exposure levels against which comparisons of improvement or deterioration of personal exposures can be made.
大鼠和小鼠的尿液是可进入实验动物护理人员呼吸道的致敏蛋白的主要来源。在美国，对于这些暴露的水平和决定因素知之甚少。我们通过在1周的全工作日期间从7名护理人员那里收集个人呼吸区灰尘样本，调查了动物设施中的活动与个人过敏原暴露水平之间的关系。通过免疫测定法定量可吸入灰尘中的小鼠和大鼠尿液过敏原。观察采样工人的活动，并记录预防过敏原暴露的方法。在39次测量中有20次检测到小鼠尿液过敏原，几何平均值为0.8 ng/m³，最高为24 ng/m³。通过多元线性回归确定，清洗笼子和每天处理的小鼠数量是个人接触小鼠尿液过敏原的最重要决定因素，该回归解释了总方差的51%。个人接触小鼠尿液过敏原与日常任务变化有关，而非与工人特征有关。在个人暴露可能性最高的地方，似乎使用了适当的防护措施（N95口罩和笼子倾倒站）。在进行的39次测量中有4次检测到大鼠尿液过敏原；可检测浓度在0.8至39 ng/m³之间。只有处理大鼠（样本）的人员接触到大鼠尿液过敏原。目前的研究结果对于确定暴露水平很有价值，通过该暴露水平可以对个人暴露的改善或恶化情况进行比较。
