Angora Wool Asthma in Textile Industry

Up to now the exposures to hair and skin derivatives of animals have not yet been the subject of systematic studies. The observation of a clinical case has provided the opportunity for a review of the literature. The inpatient was a 49-year-old man, a carder in a textile factory, exposed to angora wool. He noticed the appearance of dyspnea during working hours. There was no eosinophilia in blood, and the results of pulmonary function tests were normal. The nonspecific bronchial provocation test with methacholine demonstrated an abnormal bronchial reactivity. The challenge test with angora wool was positive (decrease in FEV1 of more than 40%) as well as total IGE and specific IgE to rabbit epithelium (433？KU/l and 12.1？KUA/l, resp.). Several sources of allergens were found in the rabbit, and the main allergen was represented by proteins from epithelia, urine, and saliva. Most of these proteins belong to the family of lipocalin, they function as carriers for small hydrophobic molecules (vitamins and pheromones). If the diagnosis of occupational asthma caused by animal hair and skin derivatives may be relatively easy by means of the challenge test, defining etiology is complicated because of the lack of in vitro tests. 1. Introduction Defining the pathogenesis, prevention, and management of occupational asthma is an involved process. Diagnosis of occupational asthma requires the integration of a multiplicity of data such as respiratory function test, nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity test, occupational challenge test (OCT), and the timing of symptoms in relation to the occupational activities. Cutaneous tests are particularly helpful in IgE-mediated asthma in relation to the inhalation of protein aeroallergens. For haptens, because they require prior coupling to a protein carrier, they cause problems in laboratory tests. The OCT represents the golden standard for etiological diagnosis of occupational asthma. The substances responsible for occupational asthma are mainly animal allergens, vegetable agents, and chemicals. In addition to major inducers of occupational asthma, there are other agents whose importance is still difficult to understand. Among these there are high molecular weight substances such as hair and skin derivatives of animals. The exposed professional categories are mainly farmers and workers in charge of laboratory animals [1]. Up to now these exposures have not yet been the subject to systematic studies as literature only reports cases of laboratory animal allergy and domestic exposures. There are various types of angora rabbit. Each