الفهرس 
Overview on Bronchial AsthmaOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Introduction: Occupational asthma is a global problem with hyper-responsive airway to different stimuli either direct or indirect, and with chronic airway inflammation. There is a lack of data concerning occupational asthma in Egypt especially those depending on both symptoms and relevant spirometric tests.
Objective: The present study aimed at investigating the frequency of occupational asthma (OA) among workers at flourmills of south Cairo as well as assessing the role of fungus exposure in occupational asthma workers
Participants & Methods: Environmental air assessment of fungal count in flour mills at South Cairo was done. All workers (n=120) in these mills were recruited in the study. A questionnaire, chest examination, chest x-ray, spirometry with bronchodilator test and peak flow rate variability test were done. Occupational asthma was diagnosed according to GINA guidelines 2014. Blood specimens were collected from all workers to measure serum Galactomannan (GM) and β-D-glucan. The role of GM and β-D-glucan as new biomarkers for fungal exposure were assessed. Data entry and statistical analysis were done.
Results: This study showed that 25% of the studied workers had Occupational asthma with reversibility in FEV1, PEFR as well as diurnal PEFR variability characteristic of occupational asthma. The present study revealed a significant improvement in post-bronchodilator percent predicted values (% pred) of FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR. A significant negative correlation was found between serum GM and % pred values of FVC, FEV1, PEFR and % pred post-FEV. A significant positive correlation was shown between serum GM and % pred values of late PEFR, PEFR change, PEFR variability.
Conclusion: The study revealed a confirmed diagnosis of OA among Egyptian mills workers using asthma questionnaire with bronchodilator test and variability test. Serum GM played a significant role in assessment of fungal exposure in asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics. β-D-glucan failed to prove a role as a biomarker of fungal exposure in this study