[THE EXAMINATION OF IGE AND PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS RESPONSES TO FLOUR EXTRACTS IN A BAKER'S RHINITIS PATIENT].

BACKGROUND: Baker's rhinitis is a kind of occupational allergic rhinitis mainly caused by intranasal exposure to wheat and/or rye flour in bakery workers. Continuous exposure to flour may induce the onset of asthma in these patients. METHOD: We experienced a case of 34-year-old male with baker's rhinitis without asthma, and investigated responses of IgE and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to flour extracts used in the bakery in practice. RESULT: In the immunoblotting, the patient's IgE reacted with 18 and 30kDa molecules in the extracts of 6 flours used in the bakery. The patient's PBMC produced a substantial amount of IL-5 and IL-13 in response to these flour extracts. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that water/salt soluble components of wheat flour selectively induce type 2 cytokines production in baker's rhinitis.