Is occupational asthma to diisocyanates a non-IgE-mediated disease?
Jones MG; Floyd A; Nouri-Aria KT; Jacobson MR; Durham SR; Taylor AN; Cullinan P Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK. meinir.jones@imperial.ac.uk BACKGROUND: Exposure to diisocyanates in the workplace is an important cause of occupational asthma. The majority of patients with diisocyanate-induced asthma have no detectable diisocyanate-specific IgE antibodies in serum. There has been much debate as to whether this is due to diisocyanate-induced asthma being mediated by non-IgE mechanisms or whether it is the result of using inappropriate conjugates. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether RNA message for Cepsilon, IL-4, and other associated inflammatory markers could be detected locally within the bronchial mucosa after diisocyanate challenge. METHODS: Fiberoptic bronchoscopic bronchial biopsy specimens were obtained at 24 hours after both a control and an active challenge in 5 patie
