LATEX ALLERGENS IN VARIOUS TYPES OF LATEX GLOVES AND SENSITIZATION OF HOSPITAL PERSONNEL AND PATIENTS

Health care workers (HCW) and multioperated children with spina bifida (SE) and other congenital anomalies represent the highest risk groups for latex allergy. However, all undiagnosed individuals are at risk when contacting latex allergens. Several latex proteins represent clinically significant allergens, and the route of sensitization (skin, respiratory tract, mucosal or serosal membranes) as well as the sensitizing item (gloves, catheters) may be decisive, i.e. 14 and 27 kD allergens in SE patients and 20 kD in HCW. In gloves, both the allergen content and the allergen profiles differ considerably. A cow's milk protein (casein) which causes urticaria in milk-allergic patients, may even be added to some gloves. The cross-reactivity between latex and several foods (banana, avocado, etc.) requires an evaluation for latex allergy in these food-allergic patients. Gloves of low latex allergen activity can and should be produced in order to prevent further sensitization. However, even these gloves may not be adequate to latex-allergic patients and non-latex items should be used.