1/6. Rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma provoked by Asticot maggots.Asticot maggots are used as bait by anglers fishing the rivers, reservoirs and coastal waters of spain. We report the case of a male patient, a keen angler, who used this bait on weekends and suffered allergic reactions that affected his conjunctiva and respiratory system for years. Other baits (earthworms, Eisemia foetida) did not elicit this reaction. In order to confirm the allergic reaction, we used maggots in vivo in the Prick Test, obtaining a positive reaction in 15 to 30 minutes. The patient also had an allergic reaction to house dust mites in prick test. To a lesser extent, he also was sensitive to certain grass pollens (Lollium perenne) and seafood (prawns and squid).- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = grass (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/6. A novel case of mealworm-induced occupational rhinitis in a school teacher.A 47-year-old African American female elementary schoolteacher presented with itchy, watery eyes, rhinorrhea, postnasal drainage, and nasal congestion complicated by recurrent epistaxis for 2 months. She had similar symptoms the previous year from September to May but was symptom free during the summer. Her symptoms began within 1 hour after entering the classroom and improved in the evening at home, on weekends, and vacation. She denied symptoms around dust, freshly cut grass, or pets and had no prior history of underlying allergic rhinitis and asthma. She had a 20-pack-a-year smoking history but quit 1 1/2 years ago. A detailed history of her classroom environment revealed the presence of mealworms that were used to teach the children about life cycles. Physical exam revealed swollen, erythematous nasal turbinates but was otherwise unremarkable. Prick skin testing was positive for oak tree, grasses, feathers, and cockroaches. Mealworm whole body extracts were prepared using standard methodology. Titration intracutaneous skin testing revealed a positive reaction at a 1:1000 concentration associated with a large delayed reaction 8 hours later that persisted for 24 hours. Specific nasal provocation using acoustic rhinometry revealed a dose response change in nasal volume (48% decrease at 1:100; 53% decrease at 1:50) and cross-sectional area (32% decrease at 1:100; 48% decrease at 1:50) in response to mealworm challenge compared with a saline control. Removal of the mealworms from the classroom resulted in complete relief of her symptoms. This is the first reported case of mealworm-induced rhinitis in a schoolteacher. Because mealworm demonstrations are now part of the standard curriculum in public school elementary classrooms in ohio, it is important that school administrators recognize the sensitizing nature of these insects and their potential for causing allergic rhinitis and asthma in the workplace.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = grass (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/6. Occupational rhinitis and asthma due to cedroarana (Cedrelinga catenaeformis Ducke) wood dust allergy.We describe a case of occupational rhinitis and asthma in a 46-year-old carpenter who presented nasal and bronchial symptoms after cedrorana (Cedrelinga catenaeformis Ducke) wood dust exposure. skin prick tests (SPT) with a battery of common allergens and different kinds of wood, were positive to cedrorana and grass pollen and negative to the other wood extracts. Nasal provocation and exposure challenge tests with Cedrorana wood dust also gave a positive reaction. IgE-immunoblotting showed two bands of 45 and 78 kDa respectively. This is the first reported case of occupational rhinitis and asthma due to Cedrorana wood dust where an IgE mediated mechanism has been found.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = grass (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/6. Swiss chard hypersensitivity: clinical and immunologic study.Allergy to vegetables and fruits seems to be more prevalent in atopics, especially in birch pollen-sensitized individuals. We report a case of a grass pollen-sensitized woman, in whom the inhalation of vapor from boiling Swiss chard precipitated rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. Type I hypersensitivity to Swiss chard was demonstrated by means of immediate skin test reactivity, specific IgE determination by RAST, basophil degranulation, histamine release test, and an immediate bronchial provocation test response to Swiss chard extract. The controls did not react to any of these tests. RAST inhibition assays suggest the presence of some cross-reactivity among Swiss chard and grass pollen antigens, as well as cross-reactivity between vegetables and weed pollens of the chenopod family.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = grass (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/6. Inhalant atopic sensitivity to grasshoppers in research laboratories.BACKGROUND: Atopic sensitivity to insects, in both occupational and nonoccupational settings, is common. methods: A 26-year-old man with atopic asthma experienced worsened asthma and urticaria on exposure to grasshoppers in a research laboratory; he along with 16 other persons who work with grasshoppers from two laboratories and 26 control subjects were studied. The patient underwent a controlled allergen inhalation test with aqueous grasshopper dropping antigen. All subjects were assessed by means of a questionnaire. All but one (who refused because of severe skin reactions after contact with grasshoppers) had skin prick tests with three extracts of grasshopper and with grass pollen, cat dander, and dermatophagoides farinae. RESULTS: The allergen challenge was positive with an isolated early asthmatic response (23% fall forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]) at 1:4096 (approximately 25 micrograms/ml), and a borderline fall in provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1. Seven of 16 (43.8%) workers had positive grasshopper skin test results compared with one of 26 (3.8%) control subjects (p = 0.0052). Sensitization occurred even in otherwise nonatopic workers (5 of 12). Symptoms of asthma on exposure (n = 4) correlated better with positive skin test results than did cutaneous symptoms (n = 8). CONCLUSION: Atopic sensitization to grasshoppers in research laboratories is a significant occupational health problem.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 12keywords = grass (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/6. Identification of IgE-binding components in occupational asthma caused by corn dust.BACKGROUND: There have been some reports of corn dust-induced occupational asthma that suggest nonimmunologic mechanism. In this paper, we present a case of occupational asthma and rhinitis caused by corn dust where bronchoconstriction was induced by an IgE-mediated reaction. methods AND RESULTS: The patient had positive responses to weed and grass pollens as well as corn dust extracts. The bronchoprovocation test elicited an early asthmatic response to corn dust extracts. serum-specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies to corn dust extracts were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In order to identify further the allergenic component of the extracts, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and electroblotting studies were performed. Ten IgE-binding components (9 to 140 kD) were detected within the corn dust extracts. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that inhalation of corn dust can cause IgE-mediated bronchoconstriction in an exposed worker.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = grass (Clic here for more details about this article) |