ABSTRACT
Immediate hypersensitivity reactions affecting the skin and upper and lower airways elicited by workplace exposure to NRL materials are mediated through specific IgE antibodies directed against NRL proteins that persist in manufactured products (2). Exposure to the NRL proteins occurs by direct contact with the latex product (e.g., latex gloves) and by inhalation of NRLcontaminated powder aerosolized from powdered latex gloves. Using an inhibition assay, Swanson et al. (4) quantified airborne NRL allergens collected using personal and area samplers at various work sites in a hospital. The amount of airborne NRL allergens correlated with the frequency of powdered glove use. Twenty percent of airborne powder particles were in a respirable size (4).
