Summary

The term ‘‘ work-related asthma ’’ encompasses both asthma caused by work (i.e. occupational asthma) and pre-existing or coincident asthma exacerbated by non-specific stimuli at work, the latter condition commonly referred to as ‘‘ work-exacerbated asthma ’’. Occupational asthma may result either from immunologically mediated sensitization to a specific substance at work (i.e. ‘‘ immunologic ’’) or from exposure(s) to high concentrations of irritant compounds (i.e. ‘‘ irritant-induced asthma ’’), best typified by the ‘‘ reactive airways dysfunction syndrome ’’. It is important that occupational asthma be recognized clinically because it has serious medical and socioeconomic consequences. We study the diagnostic value of the available methods which include an appropriate clinical history, the use of specific immunology and measurement of inflammatory markers, and various methods of relating functional changes in airway caliber to periods at work.