rosin and Asthma

Regarding colophony, the use in industries, adverse effects, diagnosis, pathophysiology and control are reviewed. Colophony is an unhomogeneous mixture of resin acids as like abietic acid and neutral substances. Colophony is used everywhere, in industry, daily life and medical supplies. Soldering workers are exposed to the colophony fumes heated up to the temperature of soldering irons. The effects of exposure to colophony are classified into bronchial asthma and contact dermatitis. Colophony fumes cause bronchial asthma by its nonspecific irritation. Inhalation challenge test and repeated spirometry during working day may help the diagnosis of colophony induced asthma. Improvement of working environment for soldering and development of new flux instead of colophony will be necessary. A study on contact dermatitis revealed that colophony and its related compounds are one of major causes for contact dermatitis. Cases of dermatitis by depilatory agents used to remove hair from slaughtered swine, anti-slipping cream for ballet shoes or resin for cello strings have been reported. Patch test may contribute to the diagnosis of dermatitis caused by colophony.

Topics: Asthma; Dermatitis, Occupational; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant; Tars

Clinical and research interests in occupational asthma increased dramatically in the 1980s. Advances in our knowledge base have led to improved recognition, management, and methods for preventing this disorder. An accelerated pace of basic and clinical research is anticipated in the 1990s. These efforts will likely lead to a more complete understanding of the disease (and pay dividends in understanding asthma itself). Occupational asthma is predicted to be the preeminent occupational lung disease in the next decade.

Topics: Allergens; Asthma; Cyanates; Disability Evaluation; Dust; Epoxy Resins; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Prevalence; Prognosis; Resins, Plant; Respiration Disorders; Salts; Tars; Wood; Workers' Compensation

Colophony (rosin) is a natural product obtained from coniferous trees. It is used in a diverse range of products such as adhesives, ink, paints and soldering fluxes. Some workers exposed to colophony during soldering can develop occupational asthma; at present, no specific IgE test is available to assess sensitization to colophony.. Serum samples were obtained from exposed symptomatic individuals (n = 7), some with a likely diagnosis of occupational asthma, exposed asymptomatic individuals (n = 10) and unexposed individuals (n = 11). Serum was tested for specific IgE antibodies against a protein extract produced following in vitro challenge of mono-mac-6 cells with colophony extract.. Serum from exposed symptomatic individuals showed increased binding of specific IgE antibodies to a range of colophony-cell protein conjugates [29% (2/7) of samples tested when cut-off > 0.1 or 86% (6/7) of samples tested when cut-off > 0%] compared with both the exposed asymptomatic [0% when cut-off > 0.1, or 20% when cut-off > 0% (2/10)] and the non-exposed control populations [0% when cut-off > 0.1, or 27% when cut-off > 0% (3/11)].. This novel approach for the production of conjugates to assess sensitization to colophony was able to detect specific IgE in colophony-exposed workers with a likely diagnosis of occupational asthma.

Topics: Adult; Asthma; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Radioallergosorbent Test; Resins, Plant

Estimates of the incidence of occupational asthma may be derived from surveillance schemes established in several countries. SHIELD is a voluntary surveillance scheme for occupational asthma in the West Midlands, a highly industrialized region of UK. The aim of this study was to estimate the general and specific incidence of occupational asthma in the West Midlands in 1990-97. The annual incidence was 41.2/million. There was a two fold difference in the incidence by sex (male 59.6/million/yr; female 27.4/million/yr). The highest annual incidence (53.2/million) was observed in the age group 45-64 yr (male) and 45-59 yr (female). Spray painters were the occupation at the highest risk of developing occupational asthma, followed by electroplaters, rubber and plastic workers, bakery workers and moulders. Although the percentage of reported cases was low among healthcare workers, there was a raising trend. Isocyanates still remained the most common causative agents with 190 (17.3%) out of the total 1097 cases reported to the surveillance scheme in seven years. There was a decrease in the reported cases due to colophony (9.5% to 4.6%), flour & wheat (8.9% to 4.9%). There was an increase of reported cases due to latex (0.4% to 4.9%) and glutaraldehyde (1.3% to 5.6%). The serial mesurement of peak expiratory flow at and away from work was the most used method of diagnosis to confirm the occupational cause of asthma. Specific bronchial challenge test with the occupational agents were used when the serial measurement of peak expiratory flow was not able to confirm undoubtdely the diagnostic suspicion or when it was difficult to identify the possible causative agent due to multiple exposures in the workplace. Following diagnosis, 24% of the patients were moved away from exposure within the same workplace in 1997, compared to 15.8% in the previous years. Those remaining exposed to the causative agent in the same workplace decreased from 28.3% to 17.7% between 1990-97. The surveillance of occupational asthma trough this voluntary scheme has allowed to monitor the incidence of the disease in the region and to identify clusters of cases, where control measures are a priority.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Air Pollutants, Occupational; Asthma; Dust; Female; Flour; Humans; Incidence; Industry; Isocyanates; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Occupations; Oils; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; Population Surveillance; Resins, Plant; Risk; United Kingdom

Topics: Asthma; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Resins, Plant

Exposure to rosin during a variety of uses has been associated with dermal and pulmonary sensitization. Oxidized resin acids are present in many rosin products, and have been regarded as the main sensitizing rosin compounds in cases of dermal sensitization. This research describes oxidized resin acids identified in aerosol produced during soldering with rosin core solder. Oxidized resin acids found were 7-oxodehydroabietic acid, 15-hydroxydehydroabietic acid, and 7-hydroxydehydroabietic acid. The presence of oxidized compounds known to be dermal sensitizers in aerosol from rosin flux soldering supports the hypothesis that resin acid compounds are pulmonary sensitizers as previously proposed. Changes in the composition of resin acid aerosol derived from heated rosin core solder (compared with the parent material) are described.

Topics: Abietanes; Aerosols; Air Pollutants, Occupational; Asthma; Chromatography, Gas; Diterpenes; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Mass Spectrometry; Oxidation-Reduction; Phenanthrenes; Resins, Plant

A 19 year old woman presented with symptoms suggestive of occupational asthma. The causative agent was thought to be a soft solder flux, which did not contain colophony. The diagnosis was established by specific inhalation challenge tests, which demonstrated both late asthmatic reactions and short-lived increases in airway responsiveness.

Topics: Adult; Asthma; Bronchial Hyperreactivity; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant; Tars; Welding

Colophony (rosin) is a widespread natural product obtained form species of the pine family Pinaceae. One of the most important uses of unmodified rosin is in electronic solder fluxes while the main areas of use of chemically modified rosin are paper sizing, adhesives, paints, varnishes, printing inks and plasticisers. Colophony is well recognized as a skin sensitizer and is also the third highest cause of occupational asthma. However, the specific allergens involved particularly in occupational asthma have not been comprehensively assessed or identified. This paper reviews method of colophony production, its uses and health effects and discusses the important issue of its chemical analysis and the choice of a suitable marker for monitoring colphony fume.

Topics: Air Pollutants, Occupational; Asthma; Calorimetry; Chromatography, Gas; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Dermatitis, Contact; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Resins, Plant; Tars

Inhalation of fumes from heated colophony (pine resin) is a recognised cause of occupational asthma, although the mechanisms by which colophony produces symptoms are unclear and specific immune responses to colophony have not been reported in sensitised workers. A study was carried out to determine whether colophony is antigenic.. The immune responses to colophony were studied in C57BL/6 mice and Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs after intraperitoneal injection of colophony conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human IgG by a mixed anhydride procedure. Colophony and dinitrofluorobenzene were also compared in an assay of dermal sensitisation.. Mice immunised with the colophony conjugates produced antibodies which recognised conjugates of both BSA and human IgG irrespective of which had been used as the immunogen. Solutions of unconjugated colophony inhibited the binding of antibodies to the BSA-colophony and BSA-abietic acid conjugates, confirming that the antibodies recognised one or more components in the colophony. Portuguese colophony also abrogated the antigen binding of serum from guinea pigs immunised with the BSA-colophony conjugate. Spleen cells from immunised mice proliferated in the presence of the conjugates. Although there was some cross reactivity in these responses, it was not as marked as in the antibody assays. Unconjugated colophony failed to induce an immune response when injected intraperitoneally with adjuvant. Skin sensitisation could not be induced in mice by topical application, or by subcutaneous or intradermal injection of unconjugated colophony.. Colophony components have the potential to act as haptens and an immune component could be involved in the pathogenesis of occupational asthma in workers exposed to colophony. Colophony is not readily immunogenic unless conjugated ex vivo to proteins.

Topics: Animals; Antibody Formation; Asthma; Disease Models, Animal; Guinea Pigs; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant; Skin; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Spleen

A worker in the rubber tyre industry is described with occupational asthma from exposure to a solution of tall oil, a pine resin, confirmed by specific inhalation challenge. This supports studies of contact dermatitis which have suggested abietic and dehydroabietic acid oxidants to be the cause of colophony induced allergic reactions.

Topics: Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Plant Oils; Resins, Plant; Rubber

Twenty-two British electronics workers suffering from occupationally-induced asthma due to their exposure to colophony fumes self-recorded their peak expiratory flow (PEF) every 1-2 hr throughout the waking span for at least two weeks, both during work and vacation periods. Data were analyzed by a two-step procedure using the statistical techniques of Single and Population Mean Cosinor analyses. The objective endpoints of mesor (24-hr mean), amplitude (measure of 24-hr rhythmic variation) and acrophase (peak time along the scale of 24 hr) for the time-spans of the work-week (Monday-Friday), weekend after work (Saturday-Sunday) and vacation weekdays and vacation weekends were compared. The PEF data of four workers who participated in the study for nearly one year also were evaluated for seasonal variation. A statistically significant difference (P less than 0.04) was detected in the PEF amplitude between work and vacation weeks; the difference in the PEF mesor and acrophase between work-weekdays and work-weekends achieved near or statistical significance (P = 0.07 and 0.05, respectively). The at-work amplitude was higher and the acrophase earlier timed. There was no statistically significant difference between work-week and weekend-after-work PEF mesors. Winter PEF mesors were significantly lower than summer ones in the four subjects self-measuring their bronchial patency over the year. Overall, the findings indicate that data obtained through employee surveys, using lightweight portable and inexpensive PEF Wright meters and analyzed by statistical analyses used in the field of biological rhythm research, yield objective evidence of occupationally associated decrements in pulmonary function resulting from colophony fume exposure.

Topics: Adult; Asthma; Circadian Rhythm; Female; Forced Expiratory Flow Rates; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; Resins, Plant; Smoking; Tars

Topics: Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Hot Temperature; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; Resins, Plant

A toolsetter developed occupational asthma due to the oil mist generated by his lathe on which it was used as a coolant. The diagnosis was confirmed by serial measurements of peak expiratory flow at home and work, including a prolonged period away from work. Occupational type bronchial provocation tests were performed using the whole emulsified oil and its components separately. He reacted specifically to the whole emulsified oil and to the reodorant, a pine oil preparation. He also reacted to colophony, a constituent of the emulsifier.

Topics: Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Emulsions; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mineral Oil; Occupational Diseases; Oils; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; Resins, Plant; Turpentine

Topics: Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Humans; Hungary; Male; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant; Welding

The rapid proliferation of complex plastic polymers and resins has led to a marked increase of work-induced asthma due to low molecular weight agents. Phthalates are frequently used in the manufacture of epoxy resins, plasticizers, adhesives and a wide variety of other materials. They have recently been identified as an important irritant and immunogen of at least four occupational respiratory syndromes, i.e., asthma/rhinitis, late respiratory systemic syndrome, pulmonary disease-anemia syndrome, and an irritant reaction. Isocyanates are extensively employed in the production of polyurethane foams, adhesives, paints and other plastic products. They have been incriminated in the causation of occupational lung disease since 1951. It appears that both specific IgE-mediated and non-specific irritant mechanisms are operative in isocyanate-induced asthma. Formaldehyde is a widely used irritating chemical, mainly employed as disinfectant or in the production of multiple resin products employed in the wood, shoe, and clothing industries. Several of these resin products can give off formaldehyde fumes causing occupational and non-occupational dermatitis, urticaria, bronchitis and reactive airway disease. Colophony pine resin used in virtually all soft soldering fluxes, and paraphenylene diamine used in the fur, paint and rubber industries have also been implicated in the generation of industrial asthma. Awareness of where such agents are likely to be encountered, together with patterns of respiratory disease induced, should facilitate earlier diagnosis.

Topics: Asthma; Cyanates; Formaldehyde; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Phthalic Acids; Plastics; Resins, Plant

Non-specific bronchial reactivity to histamine has been measured before specific occupational bronchial tests in the following groups: 51 workers exposed to toluene di-isocyanate (TDI); 40 workers exposed to diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI); 45 electronics workers exposed to colophony fumes and 13 unexposed controls. Finally 38 electronics workers had repeated measurements after moving their place of work. The results showed that histamine reactivity was an important, but not obligatory, factor in the development of occupational asthma, and that it appeared to be the result rather than the cause of occupational asthma, as it returned towards normal in workers removed from exposure. TDI and MDI were shown to be acting as specific causes of occupational asthma rather than nonspecific irritants at concentrations up to 0.02 ppm. There was evidence that some irritant reactions to colophony were occurring at exposure levels encountered at work, but that the majority of workers with colophony asthma were having specific reactions to the colophony fume.

Topics: Asthma; Bronchi; Cyanates; Electronics; Environmental Exposure; Histamine; Humans; Isocyanates; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant; Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate

Topics: Allergens; Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Electronics; Follow-Up Studies; Histamine; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant

Thirty-nine electronics workers were investigated by bronchial provocation testing to soldering fluxes containing colophony and were followed up one to four years later. At presentation and on follow-up each worker had nonspecific bronchial reactivity measured with inhaled histamine, and also had detailed measurements of lung function and estimation of total immunoglobulin levels. They completed a questionnaire designed to detect residual disability. The workers were divided into three groups. Twenty had left work after their initial diagnosis, eight had been moved to alternative work within their original factories, and 11 were thought to have asthma unrelated to colophony exposure as they failed to react to colophony at presentation. Histamine reactivity had returned to normal in half the workers who had left their original factories, but in only one worker who had moved within her original factory. This suggested that the nonspecific bronchial reactivity to histamine was the result rather than the cause of the occupational asthma, and that indirect exposure at work was sufficient to delay recovery of histamine reactivity. However, only two of the 20 affected workers who had left their original factories were symptom free on follow-up, and most had a considerable reduction in their quality of life by continuing asthma, which was particularly provoked by exercise, respiratory infections, and nonspecific irritants. Continuing symptoms may have been caused by domestic sources of colophony, or possibly the failure to eliminate colophony from the lungs.

Topics: Adult; Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Electronics; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Histamine; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases; Resins, Plant; Respiratory Function Tests

Topics: Adult; Animals; Asthma; Cromolyn Sodium; Feathers; Humans; Male; Occupational Diseases; Poultry; Resins, Plant

Flux cored solder commonly used in the electronics industry is a metal alloy, based on tin and lead, and a flux consisting of colophony with a small concentration of an activator. Thirty-four electronics workers with occupational asthma and seventeen with respiratory symptoms, probably from other causes, have been investigated by occupational type bronchial provocation testing. All the sensitized workers had a significant fall in FEV1 after exposure to colophony fumes for 15 min or less. The non-sensitized workers had no significant reactivity to this test. There was little correlation between the reaction to colophony fumes and the non specific reactivity to histamine, suggesting that colophony fumes were causing specific sensitization. In sensitized workers Portuguese Y colophony was found to cause slightly larger reactions than similar exposures to American WW colophony. In the six workers tested reactions followed exposure to abietic acid alone, the principal resin acid in colophony. Methylation of the carboxyl group of colophony was associated with decreased reactivity. Workers with non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity also sometimes reacted after exposure to fumes from the flux activators alone, but even this reaction could show specificity for the specific activator to which the workers was exposed. Finally two non-colophony substitute materials were evaluated.

Topics: Abietanes; Allergens; Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests; Carboxylic Acids; Diterpenes; Electronics; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Phenanthrenes; Resins, Plant; Time Factors