Relationship of airborne trimellitic anhydride concentrations to trimellitic anhydride--induced symptoms and immune responses

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-6749(83)90634-6· OSTI ID:6727059

Bernstein, D I; Roach, D E; McGrath, K G; Larsen, R S; Zeiss, C R; Patterson, R

Eighteen workers exposed to trimellitic anhydride (TMA) powder were evaluated in 1979. Twelve of these workers were available for longitudinal study until 1982. Annual clinical evaluations and serum radioimmunoassays for total antibody binding and specific IgE binding to /sup 125/I-TM-HSA were performed. In 1979, five workers had antibody against TM-HSA. Of these, three workers were diagnosed with the late respiratory systemic syndrome (LRSS) and one worker with TMA-induced allergic rhinitis. The LRSS workers had significantly elevated total antibody binding of /sup 125/I-TM-HSA and the worker with rhinitis had significantly elevated specific IgE binding of /sup 125/I-TM-HSA per milliliter of serum. Although TMA handling was intermittent throughout the year, average airborne dust concentrations from 1974 to 1978 at job stations of the two heaviest TMA-exposed occupations, operator and assistant operator, were 2.1 and 0.82 mg/m3, respectively. After local exhaust ventilation had been improved, average airborne dust concentrations of TMA at the two latter job stations fell to levels of 0.03 and 0.01 mg/m3, respectively, in 1982. The decrease in TMA exposure coincided with a gradual fall in total antibody binding of /sup 125/I-TM-HSA per milliliter in 1982 and symptomatic improvement in the three individuals with the LRSS. The continuous low-level exposure of the worker with TMA rhinitis was sufficient to elicit a rise in specific IgE against TM-HSA from 1.1 ng of 125I-TM-HSA bound per milliliter in 1979 to 2.12 in 1982.

• Research Organization: Northwestern Univ. Medical School, Chicago, IL
• OSTI ID: 6727059
• Journal Information: J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.; (United States) Vol. 72:6; ISSN JACIB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ANHYDRIDES
ANTIBODIES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL LOCALIZATION
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
COLLOIDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PERSONNEL
PHTHALIC ACID
POLLUTION
RADIOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SOLS
TRACER TECHNIQUES