Positive dermal hypersensitivity and specific antibodies in workers exposed to bio-engineered enzymes

Conference · Fri Mar 15 00:00:00 EST 1991 · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)

OSTI ID:5176587

Biagini, R E; Henningsen, G M; Driscoll, R; MacKenzie, B A; Wilcox, T; Scinto, J D; Bernstein, D M; Swanson, M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Cincinnati, OH (United States) Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)

Thirty-six employees who produced industrial enzymes from bio-engineered strains of bacteria and fungi were evaluated by skin prick testing and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays for specific IgE and IgG antibodies. The workers complained of asthma- and flu-like' symptoms which generally lessened away from work. The enzymes evaluated were {alpha}-amylase from A. niger (ind-AAN), B. licheniformis (ind-AAL) and B. subtilis (ind-AAS); purified {alpha}-amylase from B. subtilis (AAS) and A. niger (AAN); alkaline protease from B. licheniformis (ind-APL) and purified alkaline protease (APL); amylase glucosidase from A. niger (ind-AGN) and purified amylase glucosidase (AGN). Significantly positive skin tests were found for APL, AGN and ind-AAN. Significantly elevated specific IgE results were observed for AAN, AGN, and ind-AAN; elevated specific IgGs were observed for AAN, ind-AAN, ind-AAS, ind-AAL and ind-AGN. Radioimmunoassays of air filter samples (using sera with high Ab titers) for 4 of the ind-enzymes showed only ind-AAN at extremely high environmental levels. These results indicate that occupational exposure to some ind-enzymes causes immediate onset dermal hypersensitivity reactions. The results are equivocal as to whether these reactions are IgE mediated, as IgE titers were low. Contrary to this, IgG titers were extremely high and suggest that these biomarkers can be used as indicators of both individual exposure and environmental analyses.

• OSTI ID: 5176587
• Report Number(s): CONF-9104107-; CODEN: FAJOE
• Journal Information: FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Vol. 5:5; Conference: 75. annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Atlanta, GA (United States), 21-25 Apr 1991; ISSN 0892-6638
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMYLASE
GENETIC ENGINEERING
GLUCOSIDASE
PEPTIDE HYDROLASES
SKIN
SENSITIVITY
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
FUNGI
IMMUNOGLOBULINS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PERSONNEL
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
BIOASSAY
BIOTECHNOLOGY
BODY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
ENZYMES
GLOBULINS
GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES
HYDROLASES
IMMUNOASSAY
IMMUNOLOGY
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MICROORGANISMS
O-GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PLANTS
PROTEINS
RADIOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNODETECTION
RADIOIMMUNOLOGY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
550200* - Biochemistry