Humoral responses to bovine dust in dairy farmers with allergic rhinitis

During the indoor cattle feeding season, dairy farmers are continuously exposed to allergenic bovine-derived materials for a long time every year. Limited information is available about the dynamics of exposed people's antibody responses under the influence of this kind of exposure. In this study, the level of antibodies to bovine epithelial antigen (BEA) was found to reflect the level of clinical allergy. On the other hand, the level of immunoglobulin (Ig)E, IgA and IgG antibodies to bovine urinary antigen (BUA) was lower in the group of bovine-allergic farmers than among other farmers. It was concluded that antibodies to different allergen extracts reflect different phenomena. Antibodies to BEA seem to be associated more with allergic symptoms, where as anti-BUA antibodies might reflect the level of bovine exposure. The indoor cattle feeding season did not cause any major changes in dairy farmers' humoral responses. The continued allergen exposure did not increase the level of sensitization as determined by antibody responses.