YOU ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE TOXLINE (1981 FORWARD, NON-ROYALTY) FILE. ==SOYA AND ASTHMA== 1 AUTHOR Anonymous TITLE Asthma and the Bean SOURCE Lancet, Vol. 2, No. 8662, pages 538-540, 24 references, 1989 ABSTRACT A study was conducted after the eighth epidemic of acute severe asthma occurring in Barcelona, with evidence of geographical clustering of cases near the docks. In all, 65 persons were admitted with acute severe asthma on one day. One of these died and nine others required mechanical ventilation after respiratory arrests. Severe attacks seemed largely to spare children under the age of 14. On the day of the occurrence, airborne levels of fungal spores, pollen, and pollutants were normal. A retrospective study has since been conducted of this group to determine the possibility that the cause was inhalation of soya bean dust at the time the beans were being off loaded at the docks. In reviewing the data for the year 1985 to 1986 and the dock loading manifolds, a total of 13 days were identified in which clustering of patients occurred in a selected 4 hour period on each of the days. On each of these days soya beans, either in bulk or as derivatives, were being unloaded. A much less significant relation was noted to the off loading of wheat, and no correlation was noted to the handling of 24 other types of cargo. A determination was made as to whether the affected individuals were allergic to soya bean products. This was confirmed when 64 of the 86 adults experienced asthma on one particular epidemic day, compared with only four of 86 referents with nonepidemic asthma, proved to have immunoglobulin-E (IgE) antibodies to a commercial solution of soya bean dust. Nearly 90 percent of epidemic asthma patients were IgE positive to a dust extract from the hold of one of the ships that carried soya beans. 4 AUTHOR GONZALEZ R AUTHOR ZAPATERO L AUTHOR CARAVACA F AUTHOR CARREIRA J TITLE Identification of soybean proteins responsible for respiratory allergies. SOURCE INT ARCH ALLERGY APPL IMMUNOL; 95 (1). 1991. 53-57. ABSTRACT BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Serum samples from 32 patients who suffered attacks during the asthma outbreaks of 1987 and 1988 in Cartagena, Spain, supposedly caused by soybean dust, were studied. At least 90% had specific IgE to shell components and only 13% showed specific IgE to shell-depleted soybean grains. A control group of 32 patients who also suffered asthma attacks but on different days from those of the outbreaks were negative. The shell's most important allergen with an apparent molecular weight of 8 kDa was not present in shell-depleted grains. This allergen as well as other less important shell allergens may be different from the allergens already identified by using serum from patients suffering food allergy to soya. 1 AUTHOR Massin N AUTHOR Bohadana A AUTHOR Toamain JP AUTHOR Wild P AUTHOR Kolopp MN TITLE Workers exposed to flour dust in flour mills and bakeries. Symptoms and functional respiratory tests SOURCE D M T - Documents pour le medecin du travail 2nd Quarter 1996, No.66, p.109-114. 24 ref. ABSTRACT Grain and flour dust induce allergic reactions as well as chronic respiratory disorders. Respiratory epidemiological studies have often been performed among silo workers and bakers but very rarely among flour mill workers. Flour is a complex product mainly made up of starch (70%) and gluten (approx. 12%). Depending on its intended use, substances such as ascorbic acid, soya bean flour, etc. may be added. In addition, flour can contain mite dust and microorganisms which may release substances such as endotoxins. Because of this kind of exposure, workers (in particular asthmatic workers) tend to exclude themselves from this type of work, with the consequence that only those who have acceptably low levels of or infra-clinical symptoms will continue working. However, tests on these workers may reveal allergic work-related asthma symptoms. This study reports on the exposure levels to dust at different workplaces in flour mills and industrial bakeries and determines the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in this industry. 9 AUTHOR Blanco Carmona JG AUTHOR Juste Picon S AUTHOR Garces Sotillos M TITLE Occupational Asthma in Bakeries Caused by Sensitivity to alpha-Amylase SOURCE Allergy, Vol. 46, No. 4, pages 274-276, 11 references, 1991 ABSTRACT A case report of a baker who developed occupational asthma as a result of sensitivity to alpha-amylase (9000855) was described. The patient, a 23 year old man presented with a history of nasal and ocular itching, rhinorrhea, sneezing, shortness of breath and wheezing when at work. Chest X-rays, clinical examination and spirometry were normal. Skin tests to commercially available allergens were negative. The patient used a wheat and rye flour along with a bread additive containing soya flour and alpha-amylase at work. The alpha-amylase was derived from Aspergillus-oryzae. The patient and 16 comparisons were tested by skin pricks with progressive dilutions of wheat, rye, soya flour, and alpha-amylase. Immunoglobulin-E antibody determination and bronchial provocation tests were performed. No comparisons demonstrated any reactions to the skin tests, while the patient showed positive reactions to concentrations of 10(-4) and higher of alpha-amylase, with wheals ranging from 3 to 14 millimeters. A 14.3 PRU level to alpha-amylase was seen for immunoglobulin-E determination, and only the alpha-amylase solution induced wheezing on the bronchial provocation test, with falls in forced expiratory volume and functional vital capacity of 31% and 22% respectively. The authors conclude that the data demonstrate the immunologic mechanism responsible for the sensitivity to alpha-amylase in this patient, the first such report in Spain.