Yunginger J W, Jones R T, Fransway A F, Kelso J M, Warner M A, Hunt L W
Department of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1994 May;93(5):836-42. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(94)90374-3.
IgE-mediated sensitization to rubber proteins is being reported with increasing frequency in health care workers. To explore the relative importance of various sources of allergen exposure, we measured the total rubber allergen and protein levels in extracts of disposable rubber gloves and compared the allergen levels with those in extracts of other medical and consumer rubber products.
Rubber allergens were measured by inhibition immunoassay with a rubber glove extract as the solid-phase allergen and pooled plasma from five rubber-sensitized health care workers as the IgE antibody source. Proteins were measured by Ninhydrin assay.
Among 71 lots of gloves tested, the extractable allergen and protein levels were significantly correlated and were appreciably higher in powdered gloves than in powder-free gloves. Allergen levels varied 3000-fold among gloves from different manufacturers and were higher in examination gloves than in surgical or chemotherapy gloves. Measurable allergen was found in 11 of 24 lots of "hypoallergenic" gloves tested. Allergen levels in toy balloons were comparable to those in powdered gloves; much lower allergen levels were measured in condoms and anesthesia rebreathing bags.
The allergen content of disposable rubber gloves varies widely and is higher in powdered gloves than in powder-free gloves and higher in examination gloves than in surgical gloves. Hypoallergenic gloves may contain substantial amounts of IgE-binding proteins. Gloves and toy balloons appear to be more important sources of rubber allergens than the other rubber products tested.
医护人员中因免疫球蛋白E介导而对橡胶蛋白致敏的报道日益增多。为探究各种过敏原暴露源的相对重要性，我们测定了一次性橡胶手套提取物中的总橡胶过敏原和蛋白质水平，并将过敏原水平与其他医用和消费用橡胶产品提取物中的水平进行了比较。
采用抑制免疫测定法测量橡胶过敏原，以橡胶手套提取物作为固相过敏原，以五名对橡胶致敏的医护人员的混合血浆作为免疫球蛋白E抗体来源。通过茚三酮测定法测量蛋白质。
在测试的71批手套中，可提取的过敏原和蛋白质水平显著相关，含粉手套中的水平明显高于无粉手套。不同制造商生产的手套中过敏原水平相差3000倍，检查手套中的过敏原水平高于手术手套或化疗手套。在测试的24批“低敏”手套中，有11批检测到可测量的过敏原。玩具气球中的过敏原水平与含粉手套中的相当；避孕套和麻醉再呼吸袋中的过敏原水平则低得多。
一次性橡胶手套的过敏原含量差异很大，含粉手套中的过敏原含量高于无粉手套，检查手套中的过敏原含量高于手术手套。低敏手套可能含有大量免疫球蛋白E结合蛋白。与其他测试的橡胶产品相比，手套和玩具气球似乎是更重要的橡胶过敏原来源。
