Newman Taylor A J
Department of Occupational Medicine, Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
Postgrad Med J. 1988 Jul;64(753):505-10. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.64.753.505.
Occupational asthma is important both as a potentially curable and preventable cause of asthma and as a model of adult onset asthma. It is induced by sensitization to a specific agent inhaled at work; for many of its causes, including inhaled proteins and the low molecular weight chemicals acid anhydrides and reactive dyes, it is probably IgE dependent. The risk of developing specific IgE and associated asthma is markedly increased in cigarette smokers, probably as a consequence of non-specific damage to the respiratory mucosa. Asthma caused by several agents, which include some of its most frequent causes, isocyanates, colophony and plicatic acid (Western Red Cedar) persists in some 50% of cases for years, and possibly indefinitely, after avoidance of exposure. The development of chronic symptomatic asthma seems particularly to occur in those with longer duration of symptomatic exposure.
职业性哮喘作为哮喘潜在可治愈和可预防的病因以及成人发病型哮喘的一种模式，具有重要意义。它是由工作中吸入特定物质致敏引起的；对于其许多病因，包括吸入性蛋白质以及低分子量化学物质酸酐和活性染料，可能是IgE依赖性的。吸烟者发生特异性IgE及相关哮喘的风险显著增加，这可能是呼吸道黏膜非特异性损伤的结果。由多种物质引起的哮喘，包括其一些最常见的病因，如异氰酸酯、松香和扁柏酸（西部红雪松），在约50%的病例中，避免接触后数年甚至可能长期持续存在。慢性症状性哮喘似乎尤其容易发生在症状暴露时间较长的人群中。
