In revel LS cases, these individuals has a low incidence of atopic disease, and were more likely to be smokers. What we lcnow about occupational asthma can help us In beginning research on multiple chemical sensitivity. These are basic research concepts, but it has taken many scientists to develop what tests and clinical signs are appropriate for the study of occupational asthma. An approach for epidemiologic study that has worked with asthma Is to use a questionnaire to define cases, and then proceed to a more detailed case investigation. We know that we do not capture ad occupational asthma cases with a questionnaire, but this approach is efficient, acceptable, and yields very useful information of the subgroups of asthmatics that have a set of symptoms.
Occupational asthma is one disease for which exposure is part of the case definition.
A particular set of symptoms of clinical findings develops in relationship to exposure. I elect that a case definition of MCS wiD include such a response to exposure as wed, and we can use the lessons learned from occupational asthma to - de us here. Occupational asthma has many causative agents, and more than one mechanism that results In the came clinical presentation. In asthma, there is cd early a role for both the immune system and direct inflammation. The diagnosis of occupational asthma usually does not need a controded challenge, and such studies serve as a research toll primarily.