Cobalt-related asthma: clinical and immunological aspects

• Published in: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 150; no. 1; pp. 85 - 94
• Main Author: Cirla, Angelo Mario
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 30.06.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Allergic diseases; Antibodies - blood; Asthma - chemically induced; Asthma - complications; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cobalt - adverse effects; Cobalt asthma; Cobalt immunology; Cobalt-specific IgG; Eosinophils; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunopathology; Lymphocyte Activation; Medical sciences; Occupational Diseases - chemically induced; Occupational Diseases - complications; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Diseases - immunology; Prevalence; Respiratory and ent allergic diseases; Cobalt-specific IgG; Cobalt asthma; Cobalt immunology; Eosinophils; Human; Symptomatology; Immunology; Respiratory disease; Toxicity; Chemical compound; IgG; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Cobalt; Eosinophil; Asthma
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(94)90133-3

Several clinical and experimental findings point to cobalt as the only sensitizer and causal agent of hard metal asthma. The clinical features have been clearly defined by bronchial provocation tests, with a prevalence of late phase responses. Epidemiology is still insufficient to configure prevalence and incidence rates for cobalt asthma. IgE and IgG antibodies with cobalt specificity have been demonstrated, but T-lymphocytes and eosinophyls involvement seem to be important in the mechanism of an allergic inflammation in the airways. Such an immunological pathogenesis links cobalt asthma with other manifestation of hard metal disease.