Farmer's lung in a group of Scottish dairy farms

Wardrop, Violet E.; Blyth, W.; Grant, I. W. B.

doi:10.1136/oem.34.3.186

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Twenty-two percent of subjects in group 4 had precipitins detected by immunoelectrophoresis. This confirms the lack of specificity of these serologic methods, in agreement with other studies (13,19,23).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Farmer's lung precipitins in Doubs (a department of France): prevalence and diagnostic value

Dalphin

Toson

Monnet

et al. 1994

Allergy

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In a French region where farmer's lung (FL) is common, we determined the prevalence of FL precipitins in dairy farmers and analyzed the relation between the presence of FL precipitins and the clinical probability of the disease. All the exposed dairy farmers of both sexes (n = 2555) from five districts of the Doubs department were asked to respond to a medical and professional questionnaire. A total of 1763 (69%) farmers agreed to participate. Precipitins tests were conducted in 551 (31%) farmers who showed any respiratory symptom and in a random sample of 100 asymptomatic farmers. Serum for each farmer was analyzed by both double diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis against Micropolyspora faeni (MF) and extracts of moldy hay (HE) from Doubs. The 651 farmers were then divided into four groups (G 1-4) with a decreasing probability of FL (G1: typical FL symptoms; G4: asymptomatic farmers). The estimated prevalence of precipitins in the whole population was as follows: 1) by double diffusion, against HE: 83%, against MF: 27%; 2) by immunoelectrophoresis, against HE: 26%, against MF: 19%. There was a close "linear" relation between the prevalence of precipitins detected by immunoelectrophoresis against HE and the symptoms: 51% in G1, 36% in G2, 29% in G3, and 13% in G4. Precipitins detected by immunoelectrophoresis were also related to exposure and geography (more immunization in tableland area than in plain or mountain area). Presence of precipitins detected by double diffusion was not related to symptoms, exposure, or geography.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Farmer's lung precipitins in Doubs (a department of France): prevalence and diagnostic value

Dalphin

Toson

Monnet

et al. 1994

Allergy

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“…In our study we observed a higher prevalence of precipitins in CFL (27-8%) than in BA (4.4%) affected subjects. The prevalence of precipitins in CFL is lower than that observed by other authors: Hapke et ai, (1968) found 53% of precipitin positive cases in CFL, Grant et ai, (1972) 43%, Smyth et ai, (1975 72%, Pether and Greatorex (1976) 43%, Wardrop, Blyth and Grant (1977) 55%, Leophonte et ai, (1978) 60% and Siracusa e/a/., (1981) 100%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Study of immunological parameters in Farmer's lung

Marcer

Simioni

Saia

et al. 1983

Clin Experimental Allergy

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Summary A cross‐sectional epidemiological study was carried out on 2932 farmers (response rate 92%) living in Northern Italy. A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was supplied, chest X‐ray taken and simple spirometry tests made. Thirty‐nine subjects reported attacks of breathlessness associated with fever after exposure to mouldy hay; thirty‐six had a clinical history of Farmer's lung and X‐ray and/or respiratory function changes indicative of chronic Farmer's lung; 113 were classified as having bronchial asthma. These 118 subjects and a random sample of 131 non‐symptomatic subjects were examined by intracutaneous skin tests and double diffusion precipitation tests with antigens associated with Farmer's lung. All sera positive by precipitation were examined by immunoelectrophoresis, counterimmunoelectrophoresis, and C1q binding test, and Bovine conglutinin test in solid phase for the detection of circulating immunocomplexes. 27.8% cases of chronic Farmer's lung, 4.4% of cases of bronchial asthma and 2.3% of non‐symptomatic subjects showed precipitating antibodies against Farmer's lung antigens. Of the precipitin‐positive subjects, the majority had precipitating antibodies against Micropolyspora faeni. No differences in immunoelectrophoregrams in number and pattern of precipitation arcs for M. faeni were found between chronic Farmer's lung and bronchial asthma subjects. Circulating immune complexes were present in 50% of chronic Farmer's lung patients, 40% of those with bronchial asthma and 33.3% of non‐symptomatic subjects. Three Farmer's lung subjects (9.3%) showed immediate skin‐test reactions to rural environmental allergens.

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“…The present results show that different species of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor, and Streptomyces are at least as important as the above-mentioned species in the exposure occurring in agricultural working environments. It has been assumed that thermophilic actinomycetes would be more potent in causing allergic alveolitis than other microbes involved in moulding (Wardrop et al 1977). There have been cases of allergic alveolitis where the aetiological agents have been mesophilic fungi (Terho & Lacey 1979), e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spore exposure arising from stored hay, grain and straw

Kotimaa

1990

AFSci

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The quantitative and qualitative differences in microbe exposure arising from hay, grain and straw during the end of the indoor feeding period were investigated by using a six-stage fractionating impactor (model 10—800, Andersen Inc.). Straw samples (n = 5) liberated significantly higher amounts of spores (3.7 x 106 cfu/m3 air) in comparison to hay samples (n = 33) and grain samples (n = 2), which liberated 0.6 x 106 cfu/m3 and 0.2 x 106 cfu/m3 , respectively. Thermotolerant and thermophilic microflora were typical of the exposure originating from straw. Hay liberated about 10 % and grain only 0.7 %, the level of spores of thermotolerant fungi liberated from straw. The corresponding percentages of spores of thermophilic actinomycetes were 5 % and 0.4 %. Thermoactinomyces vulgaris was the dominating microbe in the exposure caused by straw; Aspergillus umbrosus was the major species in the microflora liberated from hay and grain. Other Aspergillus (A.) species (A. fumigatus, A. ochraceus, A. flavus, A. repens, A. versicolor) and Penicillium (P.) species (P. expansum, P. piceum, P. citrinum, P. brevicompactum, P. echinulatum, P. verrucosum var. cyclopium) occurred frequently, and in great amounts, in all the analysed materials. Spores of Cladosporium (C.) species (mainly C. herbarum, C. cladosporioides, and C. macrocarpum) were found frequently, and abundantly, during the handling of hay. The present results suggest that not only the traditional causative agents of farmer’s lung disease but also other fungal and actinomycete species may be found in high concentrations during the handling of bedding and feeding stuffs, and that these fungal and actinomycete exposures may cause respiratory symptoms and other health problems in both man and animals. Special attention should be paid to decreasing the moisture content of hay and straw before storing in order to lower the risk of moulding during the indoor feeding period.

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Farmer's lung in a group of Scottish dairy farms

Cited by 7 publications

References 19 publications

Farmer's lung precipitins in Doubs (a department of France): prevalence and diagnostic value

Farmer's lung precipitins in Doubs (a department of France): prevalence and diagnostic value

Study of immunological parameters in Farmer's lung

Spore exposure arising from stored hay, grain and straw

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