OA 是许多发达国家最常见的职业性呼吸系统疾病。[5]Mapp CE, Boschetto P, Maestrelli P, et al. Occupational asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005;172:280-305.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15860754?tool=bestpractice.com 对纵向人群研究的分析表明,16.3% 的全部成人哮喘是由职业暴露引起的。[6]Torén K, Blanc PD. Asthma caused by occupational exposures is common: a systematic analysis of estimates of the population-attributable fraction. BMC Pulm Med. 2009;9:7.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642762/?tool=pubmedhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19178702?tool=bestpractice.com 其他分析估计,3% 至 29% 的成人哮喘是由职业暴露引起的。在经历快速工业化的国家中,例如中国和南非,因职业暴露所致哮喘所占比例近似(13% 至15%)。[7]Jeebhay MF, Quirce S. Occupational asthma in the developing and industrialised world: a review. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2007;11:122-133.http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2007/00000011/00000002/art00003http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17263280?tool=bestpractice.com 在工业化程度较低的国家(例如赞比亚),该比例较低(约 6%)。人群研究还表明,致喘物职业暴露(特别是长期暴露)与未控制的成人哮喘之间存在关联。[8]Le Moual N, Carsin AE, Siroux V, et al. Occupational exposures and uncontrolled adult-onset asthma in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II. Eur Respir J. 2014;43:374-386.http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/2/374.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23949964?tool=bestpractice.com
OA 的估计发病率因国家/地区而异。例如,在美国,发病率估计为每年每百万人口中 3 到 18 人。在英国,发病率估计为每年每百万人口中 20 到 40 人,[9]McDonald JC, Chen Y, Zekveld C, et al. Incidence by occupation and industry of acute work related respiratory diseases in the UK, 1992-2001. Occup Environ Med. 2005;62:836-842.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16299091?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Kogevinas M, Zock JP, Jarvis D, et al. Exposure to substances in the workplace and new-onset asthma: an international prospective population-based study (ECRHS-II). Lancet. 2007;370:336-341.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17662882?tool=bestpractice.com 而在芬兰,发病率估计为每年每百万人口中 187 人。[11]Karjalainen A, Kurppa K, Martikainen R, et al. Work is related to a substantial portion of adult-onset asthma incidence in the Finnish population. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164:565-568.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11520716?tool=bestpractice.com 存在的差异可能与当地工业水平、诊断标准和数据来源(例如工人赔偿来源、监督计划或人群研究)存在的差异性有关。在欧洲,自 2000 年以来,OA 的发病率明显下降,大部分下降发生在 2007 年之前。[12]Stocks SJ, McNamee R, van der Molen HF, et al. Trends in incidence of occupational asthma, contact dermatitis, noise-induced hearing loss, carpal tunnel syndrome and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders in European countries from 2000 to 2012. Occup Environ Med. 2015;72:294-303.http://oem.bmj.com/content/72/4/294.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25575531?tool=bestpractice.com 这可能是由于旨在减少哮喘相关暴露的欧洲战略性举措所致。一项前瞻性研究纳入了 6837 名无呼吸道症状或在首次研究时无哮喘病史的受试者,调查了此人群中与职业性暴露相关的成人哮喘发病的风险。[10]Kogevinas M, Zock JP, Jarvis D, et al. Exposure to substances in the workplace and new-onset asthma: an international prospective population-based study (ECRHS-II). Lancet. 2007;370:336-341.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17662882?tool=bestpractice.com 受试者们接受了乙酰甲胆碱激发试验和哮喘症状问卷来评估哮喘。该研究发现每百万工人中每年有 250 到 300 例新发 OA 病例。这项大型前瞻性研究结果表明,OA 的真实发病率可能高于目前已得到的发病率。
OA 风险与职业和暴露相关。通常报告的存在风险的职业包括动物卫生技术工作者、面包师、汽车喷漆工、木工和清洁工。[11]Karjalainen A, Kurppa K, Martikainen R, et al. Work is related to a substantial portion of adult-onset asthma incidence in the Finnish population. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164:565-568.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11520716?tool=bestpractice.com[9]McDonald JC, Chen Y, Zekveld C, et al. Incidence by occupation and industry of acute work related respiratory diseases in the UK, 1992-2001. Occup Environ Med. 2005;62:836-842.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16299091?tool=bestpractice.com[13]Gautrin D, Infante-Rivard C, Ghezzo H, et al. Incidence and host determinants of probable occupational asthma in apprentices exposed to laboratory animals. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;163:899-904.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11282763?tool=bestpractice.com[14]Vizcaya D, Mirabelli MC, Gimeno D, et al. Cleaning products and short-term respiratory effects among female cleaners with asthma. Occup Environ Med. 2015;72:757-763.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25907212?tool=bestpractice.com 全世界范围内最常见的病因是二异氰酸酯和面粉。[15]Tarlo SM, Liss GM, Yeung KS. Changes in rates and severity of compensation claims for asthma due to diisocyanates: a possible effect of medical surveillance measures. Occup Environ Med. 2002;59:58-62.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740212/pdf/v059p00058.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11836470?tool=bestpractice.com[16]Le Moual N, Kennedy SM, Kauffmann F. Occupational exposures and asthma in 14,000 adults from the general population. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;160:1108-1116.http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/160/11/1108http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15561990?tool=bestpractice.com 在北美洲西海岸,接触西部红杉松是发生哮喘的一项重要原因。[17]Malo JL, Ghezzo H, D'Aquino C, et al. Natural history of occupational asthma: relevance of type of agent and other factors in the rate of development of symptoms in affected subjects. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1992;90:937-944.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1460199?tool=bestpractice.com 在医疗卫生行业中,乳胶曾是一种重要的哮喘原,但是手套本身的改变以及用于减少暴露的手套的使用发生了变化,风险也已随之下降。[18]Tarlo SM, Easty A, Eubanks K, et al. Outcomes of a natural rubber latex control program in an Ontario teaching hospital. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;108:628-633.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11590392?tool=bestpractice.com OA 发病的性别分布情况主要取决于具体工作岗位以及相应的暴露的差异。[19]Wai Y, Tarlo SM. Occupational lung disease in women. In: Buist S, Mapp CE, ed. Respiratory diseases in women. European Respiratory Monograph, vol 8, no 25. Lausanne, Switzerland: European Respiratory Society; 2003:131-146. 相比男性,女性更多地暴露于清洁产品、纺织品和生物制剂,这些物质可能与 OA 和工作加重性哮喘相关。相反地,男性发生与面粉和焊接烟雾相关的哮喘的风险更高。
普遍认为,在所有 OA 病例中,致敏剂诱发的 OA 所占比例远高于刺激剂诱发的 OA。在一些研究中,约 90% 的 OA 是由致敏剂诱发的。