TY - JOUR

T1 - The Relationship Between Potential Occupational Sensitizing Exposures and Asthma

T2 - An Overview of Systematic Reviews

AU - Dalbøge, Annett

AU - Albert Kolstad, Henrik

AU - Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli

AU - Sherson, David Lee

AU - Meyer, Harald William

AU - Ebbehøj, Niels

AU - Sigsgaard, Torben

AU - Zock, Jan Paul

AU - Baur, Xaver

AU - Schlünssen, Vivi

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by the Danish Working Environment Research Fund (Grant number 55-2016-09 20165103778). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Objectives: The aim was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the scientific evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and the development of asthma based on systematic reviews. Methods: The study was conducted as an overview of systematic reviews. A systematic literature search was conducted for systematic reviews published up to 9 February 2020. Eligibility study criteria included persons in or above the working age, potential occupational sensitizing exposures, and outcomes defined as asthma. Potential occupational sensitizing exposures were divided into 23 main groups comprising both subgroups and specific exposures. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted study data, assessed study quality, and evaluated confidence in study results and level of evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and asthma. Results: Twenty-seven systematic reviews were included covering 1242 studies and 486 potential occupational sensitizing exposures. Overall confidence in study results was rated high in three systematic reviews, moderate in seven reviews, and low in 17 reviews. Strong evidence for the main group of wood dusts and moderate evidence for main groups of mites and fish was found. For subgroups/specific exposures, strong evidence was found for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals, whereas moderate evidence was found for 52 subgroups/specific exposures. Conclusions: This overview identified hundreds of potential occupational sensitizing exposures suspected to cause asthma and evaluated the level of evidence for each exposure. Strong evidence was found for wood dust in general and for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals.

AB - Objectives: The aim was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the scientific evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and the development of asthma based on systematic reviews. Methods: The study was conducted as an overview of systematic reviews. A systematic literature search was conducted for systematic reviews published up to 9 February 2020. Eligibility study criteria included persons in or above the working age, potential occupational sensitizing exposures, and outcomes defined as asthma. Potential occupational sensitizing exposures were divided into 23 main groups comprising both subgroups and specific exposures. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted study data, assessed study quality, and evaluated confidence in study results and level of evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and asthma. Results: Twenty-seven systematic reviews were included covering 1242 studies and 486 potential occupational sensitizing exposures. Overall confidence in study results was rated high in three systematic reviews, moderate in seven reviews, and low in 17 reviews. Strong evidence for the main group of wood dusts and moderate evidence for main groups of mites and fish was found. For subgroups/specific exposures, strong evidence was found for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals, whereas moderate evidence was found for 52 subgroups/specific exposures. Conclusions: This overview identified hundreds of potential occupational sensitizing exposures suspected to cause asthma and evaluated the level of evidence for each exposure. Strong evidence was found for wood dust in general and for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals.

KW - Allergen

KW - allergy

KW - lung disease

KW - respiratory symptom

KW - work

U2 - 10.1093/annweh/wxac074

DO - 10.1093/annweh/wxac074

M3 - Review

C2 - 36472234

AN - SCOPUS:85147894887

VL - 67

SP - 163

EP - 181

JO - Annals of Occupational Hygiene

JF - Annals of Occupational Hygiene

SN - 2398-7308

IS - 2

ER -