ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01314.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01315.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryA study was made of the house dust mite,Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, in its natural surroundings for a year. Records of the relative humidity inside and outside the bed and of the temperature outside the bed were kept. An estimate of the number of mites on the surface of the mattress was made by brushing the mattress dust into a container at monthly intervals and then counting the mites. Suction cleaning of the mattress was also carried out to ascertain whether it is possible to control the number of mites by such measures. It was found that suction cleaning and brushing of the mattress considerably reduced the numbers of live and dead mites. The number of live mites remained low during the winter, but increased during the late spring and summer when temperature and relative humidity became higher. It is suggested that, for effective control, cleaning of mattresses should be carried out more frequently in the spring and summer than in the winter.Records of the relative humidity inside and outside the bed confirmed the fact that when a bed is occupied the relative humidity falls, but attains equilibrium with the surrounding air again soon after the occupant has left the bed.

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01316.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySix rounds of investigations at 6‐monthly intervals of ventilatory capacity, skin sensitivity and respiratory symptoms were carried out together with serological studies on a group of workers intermittently exposed toBacillus subtilisderivatives containing proteolytic enzyme while compounding washing powder. 369 sets of readings of ventilatory capacity were made on seventy‐seven males and 180 sets of readings on forty‐one females. Overall, with change of employment and improvement in industrial hygiene, ventilatory capacity measurements improved.Subjects who became prick test positive, as a group showed a decrease in the ratio of observed to expected FEV1significantly greater than for the prick test negative group.There was no significant excess of symptoms developing in the prick test positive group during the course of the survey though smokers and those with previous dust exposure had a higher number of symptoms than non‐smokers and those not exposed to other dusts respectively.A serological study of nine subjects initially prick test positive toB. subtiliswho subsequently varied their skin reactions, showed them to have low levels of IgE and predominantly normal ventilatory cap

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01317.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySkin (prick) and serological tests were made with enzyme preparations ofBacillus subtilisin exposed factory workers and potential ‘consumers’. Prick tests with these materials at 10 mg/ml gave positive immediate reactions in twenty‐six out of sixty‐five factory workers. Eighteen of the factory workers were classified as atopic because of allergy to common allergens and fifteen gave positive reactions to the enzymes compared with eleven out of forty‐seven non‐atopic workers. A group of eleven of the factory workers had consistent ventilatory impairment on repeated examination; all were prick test positive and seven were atopic, and four non‐atopic.Of 2500 patients attending for investigation of respiratory allergy, 40% were highly atopic, 40% moderately atopic and 20% non‐atopic. 80% were consumers of biological detergents. Only two gave weak, not clinically relevant, prick test reactions to the enzyme preparations.In radioallergosorbent (RAST) tests for specific IgE antibody against the enzyme preparations, counts in the present investigation of 600/30 sec or more corresponded best with prick test positivity, such values being found in twelve of the fifteen prick test positive atopics and in eight of the eleven workers with ventilatory impairment.Comparison of the RAST counts on sera from cord blood and from the patients who included non, light and heavy consumers showed increasingly higher specific IgE counts in these groups, although these counts were almost all below the level of 600/30 sec, which corresponded with skin test reactions and clinical relevance.Radioimmunodiffusion (RID) and radioimmunoelectrophoretic (RIEP) tests with enzyme preparations gave positive reactions only in the factory workers, of whom forty‐three had IgG and twenty‐one IgA antibody, none havin

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01318.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe changes in a wide variety ofin vivoandin vitrotests following a long course of low antigen dosage hyposensitization therapy in fifteen asthmatic patients with house dust mite allergy are reported.Evidence of clinical improvement was shown by decreased bronchodilator requirement. Bronchial challenge testing showed a significant increase in bronchial tolerance to mite antigen. Nasal and skin tests with mite extract, however, did not show a significant change.In contrast to the development of bronchial tolerance and to the clinical improvement, some of thein vitrotests seemed to provide evidence of hypersensitization. The leucocyte test, for example, showed increased sensitization to the mite antigen, as well as an increase in histamine release by anti‐IgE serum. Total serum IgE was also increased, but this was apparently due to non‐allergen specific IgE.Although the leucocyte test showed increased sensitization to mite antigen, serum reaginic activity as measured by the passive sensitization of human lung did not show any increase. Thus, there seemed to be a difference in the affinity of allergen‐specific IgE for leucocytes as compared with lung tissue. It also appeared that leucocyte response to antigen bore no relationship to sensitization of other tissues, particularly the bronchial tree.The mechanism of clinical hyposensitization by low dosage immunotherapy is discussed. It is suggested that apart from the development of blocking antibodies, other mechanisms seem likely. Among these are a change in the affinity of IgE antibodies for different tissues, and a competition between non‐specific IgE (produced in excess as a result of immunotherapy) and allergen‐spe

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01319.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryA double‐blind statistically controlled study was carried out on ninety‐six patients with Type I allergy toD. pteronyssinusand a history of perennial asthma and/or rhinitis. Forty‐eight received injections of an extract ofDermatophagoides pteronyssinusand forty‐eight controls received injections of carbol saline. Both groups were closely comparable in all respects. Ninety‐one were available for assessment, forty‐six controls, and forty‐five treated.TheD. pteronyssinustreated group showed a statistically significant decrease in nasal sensitivity to the mite extract after treatment and recorded less asthma, less use of drugs and an increased clinical tolerance of household dust.A significant rise in specific IgE toD. pteronyssinuswas found in twenty‐three out of forty (58%) of the treated compared with eight out of forty‐one (20%) of the controls and a rise in total IgE in twenty out of forty (50%) of the treated compared with nine out of thirty‐nine (23%) of the control group.Specific IgG antibodies toD. pteronyssinuswere found prior to treatment in twelve out of thirty‐nine (30%) of controls and twelve out of forty (31%) of the treated group. There was a significant increase in the number of patients with specific IgG antibody after injections ofD. pteronyssinusextract as compared with the controls. This increase was associated with clinical improvement which occurred mainly in subjects who showed a decrease, little change or an increase of less than 30% in specific IgE antibody. In those with an increase of more than 30% in specific IgE antibody there was no evidence of clinical improvement even if specific IgG was produced.Diminished release of histamine from leucocytes was found after treatment in six out of ten treated compared with three out of eleven controls. There were, however, no differences between treatment and control groups in lymphocyte transformation and the liberation of leucocyte inhibitory agents.Clinical improvement was significantly better in those treated patients who gave strong nasal and skin reactions before treatment than in those with weak nasal and skin reactivity, who were no differ

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01320.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe relationship of the basophils in the peripheral blood of patients with bronchial asthma to their allergic reactions has been studied. The basophils were stained and counted using our improved method of Kovács. The results showed that the basophils increased in the pre‐attack stage and a count of 65/mm3or more made it possible to predict a forthcoming attack. Among the patients on prolonged treatment, the basophils which were over this level during repeated asthmatic attacks decreased during the attack‐free stage, reflecting the effects of therapy. It was also found that the basophils were increased in those patients with allergic asthma whose sera gave positive Prausnitz‐Küstner reactions. This study suggests a significant relationship of peripheral blood basophils with the allergic r

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01321.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryA high incidence of infection with the threadwormEnterobius vermicularishas been demonstrated in a group of children with allergic asthma, but also in a non‐allergic group. There was no evidence of infection with any other helminth parasites. Presence or absence of threadworm infection was not clearly correlated with differences in total serum IgE level in either allergic or non‐allergic children although levels of this immunoglobulin were raised in the former group. Some of the allergic children gave positive skin reactions following intradermal injection of an antigen extracted fromE. vermicularis.The suggestion is therefore put forward that hypersensitivity toE. vermicularisallergen absorbed from the bowel might contribute to the allergic symptoms. The results are also discussed in relation to recently discovered experimental evidence that helminth infection may non‐specifically potentiate unrelated IgE antibody resp

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01322.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe detection of precipitins toMicropolyspora faeniantigens by simple serological techniques was studied with human and bovine sera. We present data on the relative sensitivities of two gel‐diffusion tests, one large‐scale, the other using semi‐micro methods to conserve antigen in the diagnosis of human and bovine disease. Eight antigenic preparations ofM. faeniare described, together with the detailed serology of eight human cases of farmer's lung. The results indicate that the use of more than one antigenic preparation is necessary in any screening programme for the detection of precipitins toM. faeniin either the human or bovine di

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1973.tb01323.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1973

数据来源: WILEY