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The history of research on asthma in the workplace — Development, victories and perspectives

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Occupational Asthma

Part of the book series: Progress in Inflammation Research ((PIR))

Abstract

Here we review the historical landmarks of occupational asthma (OA). Although there has been suspicion for long that proteins can cause allergic sensitisation and OA, it is only in the last century that evidence that chemicals can cause OA has been published. Acute irritation of the bronchi has also been incriminated in the genesis of OA. Although an IgE-mediated process has been clearly identified in OA caused by proteinaceous material, the mechanism of OA remains unknown for chemicals. Population-based studies, examination of population data bank, sentinel-based studies and prospective interventions in high-risk workplaces have greatly improved our estimates of the frequency of the condition and helped to identify risk factors. Although diagnostic means are more diversified, they are still not used sufficiently. However, characterisation of the occupational environment has become more accurate, and scales for assessing impairment/disability are now available. Estimates of the proportion of asthma cases that can be ascertained as OA are now proposed. In a more general way, OA has been proposed as a model of the onset and persistence of asthma in humans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Chest Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400 West Gouin Bld, Montréal, Canada, H4J 1C5

    Jean-Luc Malo

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK

    Anthony Newman-Taylor

  3. Axe de recherche en santé respiratoire, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400 Gouin Blvd West, Montreal, Canada, H4J 1C5

    Jean-Luc Malo

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  1. Jean-Luc Malo
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  2. Anthony Newman-Taylor
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University, Bartholin Allé 2, 8000, Århus C, Denmark

    Torben Sigsgaard

  2. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 TD, Utrecht, Netherlands

    Dick Heederik

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Malo, JL., Newman-Taylor, A. (2010). The history of research on asthma in the workplace — Development, victories and perspectives. In: Sigsgaard, T., Heederik, D. (eds) Occupational Asthma. Progress in Inflammation Research. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8556-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8556-9_1

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