Cefic-lri Programme | European Chemical Industry Council

R2-BIHH: The Physiological and Bronchial Inflammatory Marker Response to Exposure in the Workplace in Patients With Occupational Asthma

Principal Investigator

Dr. Sherwood Burge
Birmingham Heartsland Hospital
Bordesley Green East
UK – B9 5SS – Birmingham
burgeps@aol.com
Tel: +44 121 766 4476
Fax: +44 121 772 0292

Collaborators

Dr Wasif Anees – Birmingham Heartsland Hospital
wasif@anees3.freeserve.co.uk
LRI Monitor: Dr. Chris Braun – Akzo Nobel Nederland bv
chris.braun@akzonobel.com

Description

Occupational asthma is the commonest occupational lung disease, accounting for 5% of all cases of asthma, and incidence is rising. Sufferers lose on average half their total take-home income (including compensation) for four years after diagnosis. Whilst the clinical and laboratory features of asthma are generally well known, those seen in work-related asthma are not the same in all cases. Some individuals with work-related asthma have less variability in the size of their bronchial airways than usually found in this illness. The blood cells present in the phlegm of some work-related asthma patients may differ from those found in common asthma. Little is known about these variations, which may reflect a different disease process and hence long-term outcome for the patient. This project aims to investigate how the results of routine breathing tests relate to specialised tests of inflammation within the bronchial tubes (for example chemicals in the breath or cells in phlegm or blood). It will then evaluate whether any of these can predict prognosis in patients with occupational asthma. The pattern of breathing tests and/or phlegm tests may be useful in identifying workers at high risk of long-term health effects.

Related Publications

Final report and publications expected in 2003

Timeline: April 2001 > March 2003

LRI funding: €115,647

Cefic-Lri Programme Responsible Care

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