NATURAL RUBBER LATEX ALLERGY: ANTIGEN SPECIFIC IgE IN POLISH BLOOD DONORS, PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS - PRELIMINARY DATA.

Objectives: There is insufficient data on the prevalence of latex allergy in the general population in Poland. The aim of the study was to evaluate natural rubber latex (NRL) sensitization and its risk factors among Polish blood donors. Materials and Methods: The study group comprised 1000 consecutive blood donors attending the Regional Centre for Transfusion Medicine. Total IgE and allergen specific IgE to NRL (asNRL-IgE) were assayed using the EIA (enzyme immunoassay) test. In the subjects with asNRL-IgE equal to or above Class II further surveys were performed: questionnaire, skin prick tests (SPT) to common allergens, NRL and food allergens cross reactive to NRL, asNRL-IgE with FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved FEIA (fluorescent enzyme immunoassay) test and antigen profile of asNRL-IgE. Results: asNRL-IgE (EIA) was observed in 17.9% of blood donors. Only 10% of positive results equal to or above Class II were confirmed with the FEIA test. The positive FEIA results were confirmed with SPT to NRL in 60% and the negative FEIA results in 5.4% of cases. The specific IgE to Hev b 3,5,6 and 13 were observed in the subjects with occupational exposure to NRL. The highest concentration of Hev b 8 was observed in the subjects not symptomatic to NRL with positive SPT to grass and tree pollens. Conclusion: The EIA test showed the high prevalence of antigen specific IgE to NRL among Polish blood donors. There was low concordance between EIA and FEIA tests. Therefore, the EIA test should be used only for screening purposes along with the establishment of sensitivity and specificity of the method. Elevated total IgE level, active tobacco smoking, and history of atopic disease symptoms were revealed to be risk factors for the presence of asNRL-IgE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]