Persistence of airway responsiveness to occupational agents: what does it matter?

In the majority of workers with occupational asthma, the disease remains active even several years after removal from exposure or diminution of the levels of exposure to the causal agent. Only 25% or so normalize their lung function and their bronchial responsiveness to nonspecific agents. The aim of this review is to present recent findings illustrating the persistence of specific bronchial responsiveness and the associated factors in workers who apparently have recovered from occupational asthma. This subject is also examined from a socioeconomic perspective.