The Relationship Between Potential Occupational Sensitizing Exposures and Asthma: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftReviewForskningfagfællebedømt

  • Annett Dalbøge
  • Henrik Albert Kolstad
  • Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli
  • David Lee Sherson
  • Harald William Meyer
  • Niels Ebbehøj
  • Torben Sigsgaard
  • Jan Paul Zock
  • Xaver Baur
  • Vivi Schlünssen

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.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftAnnals of Work Exposures and Health
Vol/bind67
Udgave nummer2
Sider (fra-til)163-181
Antal sider19
ISSN2398-7308
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2023

Bibliografisk note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

ID: 371372566