1994/01/01 by Moira Chan‐Yeung · 1 citation
Medicine · Environmental Science · #Occupational exposure and asthma #Contact Dermatitis and Allergies #Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure #Occupational asthma #Medicine #Thuja #Asthma #Histamine #Occupational disease #Allergy #Immunology #Population #Antibody #Internal medicine #Environmental health #Botany #Biology
paper · doi:10.1002/ajim.4700250106
openalex publication_date 1994/01/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Occupational asthma due to Western red cedar is the most common form of occupational asthma in the Pacific Northwest and affects 4-13.5% of the exposed population. It has been shown to be caused by plicatic acid, a low molecular weight compound present uniquely in the wood. The mechanism of asthma induced by plicatic acid is not known, as specific IgG antibodies were found only in about 20% of patients. Sera from patients with red cedar asthma failed to passively sensitize human lung fragments of human basophils. Basophils from patients with this disease released histamine when challenged directly with plicatic acid in a specific manner. Immunologic mechanisms other than Type I hypersensitivity reaction are likely to be involved.