Advances in environmental and occupational disorders in 2008

Received 26 January 2009; accepted 28 January 2009.

Substantial progress in understanding the role of environmental factors in allergic disease and asthma has been made in the past year. A number of new allergens have been described, and the impact of exposure to indoor allergens in the development of allergic respiratory disease is further confirmed. Exposures to environmental pollutants, particularly tobacco smoke in children, have furthered our knowledge of the detrimental effects of these exposures. This review highlights key advances in environmental and occupational exposures that contribute to the burden of allergic respiratory disease.

Key words: Allergens, molds, allergic sensitization, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic approaches

Abbreviations used: BAL, Bronchoalveolar lavage, CCD, Cross-reactive carbohydrate determinant, MDI, Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, sCD14, Soluble CD14, TDI, Toluene diisocyanate

a Department of Medicine, Section of Allergy, Immunology, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis

b Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy, Immunology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Reprint requests: Robert K. Bush, MD, K4/910 CSC 9988, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53792.

Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: R. K. Bush has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and Greer Laboratories. D. B. Peden has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency, has provided legal consultation or expert witness testimony in court cases related to air quality, and is a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline and Funxional Therapeutics.

PII: S0091-6749(09)00215-2

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2009.01.062

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