[Ventilatory function and immunologic reactions in female workers processing dried fruits and teas].

Ventilatory capacity and immunological reactions were studied in 54 female workers employed in processing dried fruits and teas, and in 40 control workers. There was higher prevalence of all chronic respiratory symptoms in the exposed compared to control workers, although the differences were statistically significant only for dyspnea and nasal catarrh (p < 0.01). The exposed workers with positive skin tests had significantly higher prevalence of dyspnea (p < 0.05) and nasal catarrh (p < 0.01) than those with negative skin tests. In exposed workers there were statistically significant acute reductions of ventilatory capacity tests during the shift, particularly in flow rates at 50% and the last 25% of vital capacity on maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves (FEF50, FEF25). In comparison to predicted normal values, the mean FEF25 was significantly lower than normal (p < 0.01). Significantly larger number of exposed workers compared to controls reacted with positive skin tests to at least one of the occupational allergens (p < 0.01). However, only the prevalence of positive skin test to sage (60.0%) was significantly higher than in control workers (20.0%) (p < 0.01). Our data indicate that exposure to aerosols of dried fruits and teas may in some workers cause the development of respiratory symptoms and increased skin reactivity to work-related allergens, with an increase of immunoglobulin IgE.