1. Occupational Asthma Caused by Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Multicenter Cohort Study
- Author
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Migueres, Nicolas, Debaille, Charlotte, Walusiak-Skorupa, Jolanta, Lipińska-Ojrzanowska, Agnieszka, Munoz, Xavier, van Kampen, Vera, Suojalehto, Hille, Suuronen, Katri, Seed, Martin, Lee, Sewon, Rifflart, Catherine, Godet, Julien, de Blay, Frédéric, Vandenplas, Olivier, European Network for the Phenotyping of Occupational Asthma (E-PHOCAS), UCL - SSS/IREC/MONT - Pôle Mont Godinne, UCL - SSS/IREC/PNEU - Pôle de Pneumologie, ORL et Dermatologie, and UCL - (MGD) Service de pneumologie
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Occupational disease ,Cohort Studies ,03 medical and health sciences ,FEV1/FVC ratio ,0302 clinical medicine ,Interquartile range ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Asthma, Occupational ,Retrospective Studies ,Asthma ,business.industry ,medicine.disease ,Eosinophils ,Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ,Cleaning agents ,030228 respiratory system ,Bronchial hyperresponsiveness ,Cohort ,Biocides ,Sputum ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Occupational asthma ,Quaternary ammonium compounds - Abstract
Background Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are used extensively for cleaning and disinfection and have been documented in scattered reports as a cause of occupational asthma (OA) through bronchoprovocation tests (BPTs). Objective To examine the clinical, functional, and inflammatory profile of QAC-induced OA compared with OA caused by other low–molecular weight (LMW) agents. Methods The study was conducted in a retrospective multicenter cohort of 871 subjects with OA ascertained by a positive BPT. Subjects with QAC-induced OA (n = 22) were identified based on a positive BPT to QACs after exclusion of those challenged with cleaning products or disinfectants that contained other potential respiratory sensitizers. They were compared with 289 subjects with OA caused by other LMW agents. Results Most subjects with QAC-induced OA were working in the health care sector (n = 14). A twofold or greater increase in the postchallenge level of nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness was recorded in eight of 11 subjects with QAC-induced OA (72.7%) and in 49.7% of those with OA caused by other LMW agents. Although sputum assessment was available in only eight subjects with QAC-induced OA, they showed a significantly greater median (interquartile) increase in sputum eosinophils (18.1% [range, 12.1% to 21.1%]) compared with those with OA caused by other LMW agents (2.0% [range, 0% to 5.2%]; P Conclusions This study indicates that QAC-induced OA is associated with a highly eosinophilic pattern of airway response and provides further evidence supporting the sensitizing potential of QACs. The findings highlight the heterogeneous nature of the pathobiologic pathways involved in OA caused by LMW agents.
- Published
- 2021