Increased serum levels of soluble ST2 in birch pollen atopics and individuals working in laboratory animal facilities.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate toll-like receptors and CD14 expression on blood cells, cytokine profile of blood T-helper cells and serum levels of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) and sCD14 in 27 symptomatic laboratory animal (LA) workers with positive (n = 19) or negative (n = 8) skin-prick test to LA, 12 birch pollen atopics and 11 non-atopic controls not exposed to LA. METHODS: Surface markers and intracellular cytokines were measured with flow cytometry and sST2 and sCD14 with ELISA. RESULTS: The group who experienced symptoms when working with LA, with positive and negative skin-prick test to LA, had higher CD14 expression on monocytes compared with those allergic to birch and controls. Further, serum sST2 were elevated in birch atopics and in symptomatics non-allergic to LA compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Increased CD14 expression found in LA workers is most likely a response to non-allergic agent exposure whereas ST2 seems to react to acute allergen exposure and to non-allergic stimuli as pathogen-associated molecular patterns.

Prevention of laboratory animal allergy.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory animal allergy (or LAA) is an important threat to the occupational health of those who work with rats, mice and other species. AIM: This review examines the risk factors for LAA and the effectiveness of control measures. METHODS: A literature review was performed. RESULTS: An extensive literature was identified regarding LAA and the use of control measures. The contribution that these measures can make to the overall effectiveness of an occupational health and safety programme is discussed in the context of the literature currently available. CONCLUSION: The incidence of this disease can be reduced by effective, integrated health risk management, with the conscientious use of engineering, procedural and personal control measures.

Species differences in the structure and function of the immune system.

With the recent publication of regulatory guidelines from both the FDA and the CPMP addressing the investigation of immunotoxicity of new chemical entities has come the requisite increased application of immunotoxicology protocols. Importantly, the fulfillment of these protocols may require the use of different species, and while in many cases information concerning the structure and function of the immune system can be readily translated across species, there are numerous and significant species differences that need to be considered. In some cases, the generation of meaningful immunotoxicology data can be adversely affected by the choice of a species that does not adequately share the immune function of concern with man. Likewise immunotoxicology testing in one species may produce negative data in one species but positive data in another. Knowing the mechanistic basis through an understanding of species differences in the structure and function of the immune system is pivotal to success. This becomes especially true as pharmaceutical companies design and develop highly specific immunomodulatory molecules that demonstrate species-specific pharmacology. This review is an exploration of various species differences in the structure and function of the immune system and an attempt to identify those differences that may be important in the conduct of immunotoxicity tests.