Prävalenz IgE-vermittelter Naturlatexallergien bei Mitarbeitern der Klinika in Rostock, Deutschland, und im Fremantle Hospital Perth, Australien

Introduction: Studies about the prevalence of latex allergies in health care workers (HCW) have been made worldwide and differ in the single studies between 2 and 17%. The aim of our study was to investigate and compare the natural rubber latex allergies in health care workers in Rostock and Fremantle. Material/method: In our study we examined 557 people, 276 employees of the University Hospital Rostock and of the hospital "Klinikum Slid" in Rostock as well as 281 colleagues of the Fremantle Hospital Perth, educational hospital of the University of Western Australia. We developed questionnaire, included a present history, family history, allergy and latex anamnesis. For the prick test we used commercial test solutions made by ALK-Scherax. The in vitro diagnostic contained the determining ofthe latex-specific IgE by the Allergopharma specific IgE ELISA (RV). Results: The 2 groups of test persons from Rostock and Fremantle hospital did not differ in regard to age and sex. In the Fremantle group we found a significantly higher number of atopic persons (R = 25.4%; F = 50.9%). The probands from Rostock were found to have served for a longer period in their jobs (R = 15 ′ 10.7 years; F = 12.4 ′ 10 years). The use of unpowdered and latex-free gloves were more common in Rostock. On average, the wearing time and the number of the daily used gloves were significantly higher in Rostock than in Fremantle. The 2 groups from Rostock and Fremantle did not show any significant differences in the SPT (R = 4.0%; F = 3.9%), in the EAST classes ≥ 2 (R = 2.5%; F = 3.9%), in latex sensitization (R = 4.7%; F = 5.3%) and in natural rubber allergy (R = 3.3%; F = 3.6%). In our study we could prove that probands with atopic disease, as well from Rostock as from Fremantle, are significantly more frequent latex-sensitive than test persons without an atopic disease (p < 0.001). The risk of latex sensitization is within the persons with atopic disease 8 times higher than within those, who don't have any atopic disease. Conclusion: The results of our study, with an allergy rate of 3.3% in Rostock and 3.6% in Fremantle, show a low prevalence of latex allergy in comparison to other in literature published investigations. The risk of latex sensitization was significantly higher under the atopics.