Department of Chemical and Biological Work Environment, National Institute of Occupational Health, Majorstuen, Oslo, Norway.
Occupational Health Service Unit, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway.
Ann Work Expo Health. 2018 Oct 15;62(8):953-965. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxy060.
Exposure to rat and mouse allergens during work in laboratory animal facilities represents a risk for being sensitized and developing allergic diseases, and it is important to keep the exposure level as low as possible. The objective of this study was to characterize the personal Mus m 1 and Rat n 1 exposure during work in laboratory animal facilities, and to investigate the effect of identified predictors of increased and reduced exposure.
Mus m 1 and Rat n 1 were analysed in whole day or task-based personal air samples by enhanced sensitivity sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Information about cage-and-rack systems, tasks, and other conditions known to influence the allergen exposure was registered. Predictors for allergen exposure were identified by multiple linear regression analyses.
The median allergen exposure was 3.0 ng m-3 Mus m 1 and 0.5 ng m-3 Rat n 1, with large task-dependent variations among the samples. The highest exposed job group were animal technicians. Cage emptying and cage washing in the cage washroom represented the highest exposure, whereas animal experiments in the lab/operation room represented the lowest exposure, with laminar airflow bench being an exposure-reducing determinant. Cage changing was the highest exposed task in the animal room, where individually ventilated cages (IVCs) were predictors of reduced exposure for both Mus m 1 and Rat n 1, whereas cage-rack systems with open shelves and sliding doors were predictors of increased Rat n 1 exposure. Cages of IVC type with positive air pressure (IVC+) as well as open shelves and sliding doors were strong predictors of increased exposure during cage emptying and cage washing.
Significant different exposure levels depending on type of work and task imply different risks of sensitization and allergy development. The fact that IVC+ cages have opposite impact on Mus m 1 and Rat n 1 exposure during different tasks may have positive clinical implications when taken into account.
在实验动物设施中进行工作时，接触大鼠和小鼠过敏原会增加致敏和患过敏疾病的风险，因此将接触水平保持在尽可能低的水平非常重要。本研究的目的是描述在实验动物设施工作期间的个体 Mus m 1 和 Rat n 1 暴露情况，并研究增加和减少暴露的潜在预测因素。
通过增强敏感性夹心酶联免疫吸附试验，对整个工作日或基于任务的个人空气样本中的 Mus m 1 和 Rat n 1 进行分析。登记了与笼架系统、任务以及其他已知影响过敏原暴露的条件有关的信息。通过多元线性回归分析确定了过敏原暴露的预测因素。
暴露的中位数分别为 3.0ng m-3 Mus m 1 和 0.5ng m-3 Rat n 1，样本之间存在很大的任务依赖性差异。暴露最高的职业群体是动物技术员。在笼洗室中清空笼子和清洗笼子代表了最高的暴露水平，而在实验室/操作室中进行动物实验则代表了最低的暴露水平，层流工作台是减少暴露的决定因素。在动物室中，更换笼子是暴露最高的任务，独立通风笼（IVC）是 Mus m 1 和 Rat n 1 暴露减少的预测因素，而带有开放式架子和滑动门的笼架系统是 Rat n 1 暴露增加的预测因素。正压式 IVC（IVC+）笼以及开放式架子和滑动门是在清空和清洗笼子时增加暴露的强预测因素。
不同类型的工作和任务导致的暴露水平存在显著差异，这意味着致敏和过敏发展的风险不同。考虑到这一点，IVC+笼在不同任务中对 Mus m 1 和 Rat n 1 暴露的影响相反，这可能具有积极的临床意义。
