Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31168306›Full record

ArticleAllergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology2019

Health effects of diesel engine exhaust emissions exposure (DEEE) can mimic allergic asthma and rhinitis.

Elopy Sibanda, Nancy Makaza

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 43% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Occupational Rhinitis: An Update.Current allergy and asthma reports · 2023
    Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Elopy SibandaAsthma, Allergy and Immune Dysfunction Clinic, Twin Palms Medical Centre, 113 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Nancy MakazaAsthma, Allergy and Immune Dysfunction Clinic, Twin Palms Medical Centre, 113 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe.
National University of Science and Technology · ZW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients presenting to Accident and Emergency (A&E) facilities with dyspnoea, coughing, wheezing and nasal blockage are presumed to have allergic asthma and/or rhinitis. Occupational asthma (OA), which has similar symptoms is rarely considered. Triggers of OA include exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions exposure (DEEEE) that are carcinogenic. We report the case of a patient who presented to an A&E facility with asthma-like symptoms, was treated for allergic asthma. Frequent exacerbations were experienced. Upon investigations it was shown that were symptoms triggered by DEEE exposure. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old female bank employee was referred for the evaluation of suspected asthma. She reported a 3-month history of symptoms suggestive of asthma and rhinitis, for which she had previously required A&E treatment. There was no history of atopy. The symptoms only occurred at work or after work. Their onset had coincided with changing offices to one located proximal to a diesel-powered electricity generator. A diagnosis of asthma had been made at the A&E facility and the appropriately used inhaled fluticasone and salbutamol provided limited relief. Skin prick testing was weakly positive for seasonal pollen and house dust mite allergens. Allergen specific IgE tests for 16 regionally relevant aeroallergens were negative. Tests to exclude connective tissue diseases were positive for the anti-Ro-52/TRIM-21 autoantibody. Baseline spirometry values were markedly reduced and bronchodilator administration showed limited reversibility, FEV1 (+ 8%), PEF (+ 5%). Following a 10-day discontinuation of work exposure, the symptoms abated and FEV1 and PEF increased by 10-14% from baseline. The recent onset of asthma, in a non-atopic adult, with workday related symptoms and improvement upon discontinuation of exposure were attributed to passive occupational exposure to DEEE. The diesel generator was relocated, a short course of inhaled fluticasone and oral prednisolone was prescribed and symptoms resolved. This is the first report of the health effects of DEEE mimicking asthma and rhinitis in Zimbabwe.

conclusionsAtypical presentations of adult onset asthma in the absence of a history of either atopy or allergen specific IgE antibody sensitization should trigger in-depth evaluation of occupational exposure in all cases including office workers. Serial monitoring of lung function values should be used for diagnostic and monitoring of the patients.

Indexed as

ANAanti-Ro-52Diesel engine exhaust emissionsLung functionOccupational asthmaZimbabwe

Identifiers

PMID31168306
PMCPMC6489272
OpenAlexW2946882583

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.