Summary of controversies/queries and proposals of studies according to diagnostic tools
| Diagnostic tool | Controversies/queries | Proposals for studies |
| Questionnaire | No validated questionnaire for epidemiological or | Validation of questionnaires |
| clinical purposes. Key questions such as: | Put emphasis on satisfactory sensitivity | |
| “Are your symptoms less severe on weekends?” or | ||
| “Are your symptoms worse at work?” not validated | ||
| Immunological | No satisfactory extract for skin testing and | Standardised antigens |
| assessment | specific IgE/IgG assessments | New tests: e.g. MCP‐1 |
| Lung-function tests | Can PC20 be “negative” while at work in a case of OA? | Validity of a single PC20 assessment |
| How can PEF recordings and interpretation be improved? | while at work | |
| Specific inhalation | Best means to assess the response? | Assess the validity of combining PEF |
| challenges | Improve methodology and increase use | changes and bronchial hyperresponsiveness |
| at work | ||
| Assess validity of various | ||
| functional and inflammatory means | ||
| to assess the response and not only FEV1 | ||
| Improve inhalational methodology | ||
| Quality control of centres | ||
| Assessment of | Sensitivity and specificity of inflammatory testing? | To be assessed in larger studies |
| inflammation |
Ig: immunoglobulin
PC20: provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)
OA: occupational asthma
MCP‐1: monocyte chemotactic protein‐1
PEF: peak expiratory flow