Possible mechanisms of formaldehyde-induced discomfort in the upper airways.
研究了66名职业接触甲醛的工人，发现约50%因高反应性出现鼻部不适，特应性体质者未显著增多，两名工人对甲醛有免疫介导的过敏反应，建议所有人尽量减少甲醛暴露。
Occupational exposure to formaldehyde often causes nasal discomfort. The objective of this study was to determine whether chronic exposure to formaldehyde causes annoying symptoms by direct irritation and whether it affects all exposed people (through hyperreactivity in atopic persons, through formaldehyde-induced hyperreactivity also in nonatopic persons, or through an immunologically mediated, immediate type 1 reaction to formaldehyde itself). It was found that about 50% of the studied population of 66 workers occupationally exposed to formaldehyde during formaldehyde production experienced nasal discomfort through hyperreactivity. Atopics were not significantly overrepresented among the persons with occupational nasal symptoms. Two workers with isolated occupational nasal discomfort, and sensitized by long-term inhalation, had a positive radioallergosorbent test for formaldehyde. The conclusion was reached that exposure to formaldehyde should be minimized as much as possible for all people, not only for atopic persons.