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Hemoglobins of the Diptera (insect) family Chironomidae have been identified as causative allergens in asthmatic patients. In this study, 229 Japanese, 17 Taiwanese, and 92 Swedish sera from atopic patients were tested for antibodies against Chi tI, the hemoglobin from the European midge species Chironomus thummi, and against crude extracts from the Japanese midges Tokunagayusurika akamusi (T. akamusi) and Cricotopus sylvestris (Cr. Sylvestris). Nearly 40% of patients showed a positive reaction to Cr. Sylvestris extract, which contains no hemoglobin. This result is probably due to the presence of other partially cross-reacting allergens than hemoglobin. Nearly all tested Japanese serum samples showed cross-reactivity between Chi t I and Cr. Sylvestris, a finding which is evidence for common epitopes in both midge species. Furthermore, an overall good correlation between the amounts of IgE antibodies against Chi t I and Chi t I component III was found in sera from Swedish, Japanese, and German patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's work has traditionally been considered less hazardous to health in comparison with men's work. The increased women's participation in the workforce has led to an increased attention to women's working conditions. Women and men are unequally represented in individual professions or sectors (horizontal segregation), with women also under-represented in leadership positions (vertical segregation). The selection of specific occupations can result in differences between types and levels of occupational exposures among women and men and can affect prevalence of occupational allergy. Gender distribution of work-related asthma appears to vary across countries without clear global difference. Occupational rhinitis tends to be higher in women, although is not clear if this is related to a sex/gender effect or to differences in work exposure. Women are more likely to have occupational contact dermatitis, mainly due to wet work. No clear effects of gender on rates of hypersensitivity pneumonitis have been shown. Besides variation in exposures, physical and physiological characteristics, different behaviours and health consciousness have an impact on the occupational health hazards of women and men. Occupational allergy health promotion strategies need to consider approaches for women and men adjusted by gender, and legislative actions similarly could be implemented in a more gender-sensitive way., (© 2020 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.)