Mouse Allergen-Specific IgG as a Biomarker of Exposure

描述（由申请人提供）：实验动物过敏（LAA）影响高达20%的实验动物工作者，并且很大一部分继续发展为职业性哮喘（OA）。暴露是LAA和OA的一个重要风险因素，但在后勤上很难对一大群工人进行定期暴露评估。Jackson实验室已经建立了一个小鼠过敏原监测项目，初步的横断面数据表明，小鼠过敏原特异性IgG和IgG4的血清水平随着小鼠过敏原暴露的累积而增加，并且小鼠特异性IgG和IgG4可能预测小鼠特异性IgE的发展。因此，小鼠特异性IgG和IgG4可能被证明是一种适当的生物标志物，用于监测小鼠工人的长期暴露，并最终预测过敏致敏的风险。然而，在进行长期、全面的前瞻性队列研究以确定小鼠特异性IgG和IgG4在预测过敏致敏风险中的价值之前，需要确定该研究的可行性。本提案的两个目标，将为前瞻性研究做准备，是评估和比较两种测量过敏原暴露的方法，房间监测和个人监测，并检查小鼠特异性IgG和IgG4与累积过敏原暴露之间的关系，验证这些IgG可以作为暴露的生物标志物的假设。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Laboratory animal allergy (LAA) affects up to 20% of laboratory animal workers and a significant proportion go on to develop occupational asthma (OA). Exposure is an important risk factor for LAA and OA, but it is logistically difficult to perform regular exposure assessments on a large group of workers. A mouse allergen monitoring program has been established at The Jackson Laboratory, and preliminary cross sectional data suggest that serum levels of mouse allergen-specific IgG and IgG4 increase with cumulative mouse allergen exposure and that mouse-specific IgG and IgG4 may be predictive of the development of mouse-specific IgE. Mouse-specific IgG and IgG4, then, may prove to be an appropriate biomarker for monitoring exposure over time among mouse workers and for ultimately predicting risk of allergic sensitization. However, before a long-term, comprehensive prospective cohort study can be undertaken to determine the value of mouse-specific IgG and IgG4 in predicting risk of allergic sensitization, the feasibility of such a study needs to be determined. The two goals of this proposal, which will prepare for that prospective study, are to evaluate and compare two methods of measuring allergen exposure, room monitoring and personal monitoring, and to examine the relationship between mouse-specific IgG and IgG4 and cumulative allergen exposure testing the hypothesis that these IgGs can serve as biomarkers of exposure.