United Airway Disease in Occupational Allergy

Abstract

The term “united airway disease” has been used since 2000 to describe the strong association between asthma and rhinitis. Although this term is not extensively used, it refers to the fact that asthma and rhinitis are frequently associated and share common risk factors, causal agents and mechanisms. Similarly, since 2010 the term occupational united airway disease has been used to describe the strong association between occupational asthma and rhinitis. Rhinitis and occupational rhinitis are less severe diseases but more frequent than asthma and occupational asthma, respectively. Every year several case reports and epidemiological studies enhance the long list of agents responsible for occupational asthma and rhinitis with new agents or occupations. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies are aimed at reduction of the onset and severity of work-related respiratory diseases. Primary prevention mainly includes avoiding/reducing exposure to known sensitizing/irritant agents. Secondary prevention or early detection should focus on medical surveillance of individuals at risk, health and safety education and training of workers, and recognition of early bronchial/nasal symptoms. Tertiary prevention includes early recognition and diagnosis, appropriate removal from further exposure and pharmacologic treatment. Unfortunately, pharmacologic treatment has seldom been studied in occupational asthma and rhinitis, and it usually refers to the international guidelines of management of asthma and rhinitis aimed to achieve control of the two diseases. For simultaneous treatment of asthma and rhinitis, the anti-IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab, effective in occupational asthma and rhinitis, is available. Immunotherapy has been shown to be effective in health care workers with occupational asthma due to natural rubber latex, in workers with occupational asthma due to laboratory animals and in baker’s asthma. A limitation of immunotherapy, however, can be systemic reactions after subcutaneous injections of sometimes non-standardized and non-purified extracts.