摘要:

SummaryNon‐allergic bronchial hyper‐reactivity is a feature of most patients with asthma. We have measured non‐allergic bronchial reactivity to inhaled histamine and methacholine in thirteen asthmatic subjects before and after allergen inhalation in the laboratory. The allergen inhalation produced mild early asthmatic responses (19–40% FEV1fall) in all thirteen, additional definite late asthmatic responses (17–29% FEV1fall) in four, and equivocal late asthmatic responses (5–11% FEV1fall) in five. Following allergen inhalation, non‐allergic bronchial reactivity increased in seven for up to 7 days. The seven included all four with definite late asthmatic responses and three of the five with equivocal late asthmatic responses. We conclude that allergens make asthma worse, partly through non‐allergic mechanisms, and that avoidance of allergens is important in reducing non‐allergic bronchial

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01481.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryA large range of immunological investigations in patients with extrinsic or intrinsic asthma showed higher leucocyte counts in intrinsic asthma. Blood sputum eosinophilia were almost equally frequent.Immediate skin responses to inhalant antigens are seldom present in intrinsic asthma, but delayed responses to bacterial antigens, endotoxins,Candida albicansand aspiryl–PPL are frequently positive. This correlates with the frequent presence of precipitins andin vitrostimulation of lymphocytes, and the production of macrophage migration inhibition factor by most of these substances. These results suggest that bacterial factors may play a prominent role as aetiological agents in at least some cases of intrinsic asthma. In intrinsic asthma there was a high incidence of tissue autoantibodies, whereas the incidence was negligible in patients with atopic asthma.The level of serum immunoglobulins was not statistically different between the two groups of patients except for IgE.The patients with intrinsic asthma showed a favorable response to sodium cromoglycat

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01482.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryTwo antigens designatedPseudomonas aeruginosacytoplasmic antigen (P(1–5)) andP. aeruginosacell wall antigen (PCW) were prepared by ultrasonic disintegration and hot phenol extraction of a smooth polyagglutinable strain ofP. aeruginosaisolated from the respiratory tract.It was shown that P(1–5) and PCW are immunologically distinct, that P(1–5) is heat‐labile while PCW contains a heat‐stable component which stains positively for polysaccharide, is positive for endotoxin and cross‐reacts with a cell wall antigen ofHaemophilus influenzaeprepared by hot phenol extraction. Both antigens were able to activate the alternate pathway for complement.A statistically significant number of patients with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis have precipitating antibody to that fraction of cytoplasmic antigen specific forP. aeruginosa(P(1–2)) and PCW compared to controls, whereas patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis do not. The use of both antigens increases the number of patients with antibody toP. aeruginosa.Radioactive immunodiffusion studies indicate that 80.8% of controls have precipitating antibody to PCW antigen and that antibody to it is IgG, IgA and IgM.These studies indicate that consideration should be given to PCW as well as P(1–5) in any consideration of the pathogenesis ofP. aeruginosain t

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01483.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryLung‐specific, cellular hypersensitivity was studied in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. To do this, a leucocyte migration inhibition assay was performed using patient and control leucocytes incubated in the presence and absence of a soluble lung extract. Control antigens consisted of liver and kidney extracts. The immunological reactivity of these control antigens was tested by measuring migration, subsequent to incubation of leucocytes from patients with hepatic or renal disease with the liver and kidney extracts, respectively. As a secondin vitrotest of cell‐mediated immunity, a lymphocyte cytotoxicity assay was performed, using as target cells normal chromium‐labelled human lung cells.Leucocyte migration inhibition was produced by the lung extract in four out of six patients with chronic bronchitis, five out of seven patients with tuberculosis, one out of five patients with sarcoidosis and in the single patient studied with rheumatoid lung disease. Inhibition did not occur with the leucocytes from control subjects. Neither was migration inhibited when leucocytes from the patients with lung disease were incubated with the control antigens. The reactivity of these control antigens was confirmed by the fact that leucocyte inhibition occurred in two out of three patients with hepatic disease, studied using the liver extract, and in two out of three patients with renal disease, studied with the kidney extract. The cytotoxic potential of anti‐lung lymphocytes was demonstrated by the fact that significant target cell cytotoxicity occurred using lymphocytes from two out of four patients with chronic bronchitis, four out of five patients with tuberculosis and in two out of four patients with sarc

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01484.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryMycological and serological studies were carried out as part of a survey of respiratory disease in Scottish maltworkers. 70% of stained sputum smears from 574 workers showed the presence of higher plant cells and/or mycelia, and the spores of common environmental fungi.Penicilliumspp. (90/%),Rhizopus stolonifer(48%) and yeasts (53%) were the dominant fungi in 699 sputum cultures, and showed a similar proportional distribution in 327 samples of grain, malt, culms and dusts from fifty‐six makings.57% of 711 men were serologically positive for fungi, 22% forAspergillus fumigatus, 20% forA. clavatus, 10% forA. niger, 16% forCladosporium herbarumand over 3% forRhizopus stolonifer.6% of 132 men were positive forPenicillium cyclopium.No precipitating antibodies to antigens fromAlternaria tenuis, Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida albicans, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula glutinisorTrichoderma viridewere detected in tests of forty sera.Sera from the 5.2% of men with symptoms of extrinsic allergic alveolitis showed increased reactivity to mycelial antigens fromAspergillus clavatus.The fungus was cultured from 21 % of maltings, 7% of all environmental samples and from the sputa of 8% of maltworker

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01485.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySalbutamol in a powder aerosol from the Rotahaler insufflator was compared, with equal doses of the conventional pressurized aerosol by dose‐response curves and in a 1 month open trial, in the treatment of asthma patients with good inhalation technique. Results were not significantly different in either study. A further group of asthma patients, who were known to be incapable of using pressurized aerosols effectively, were shown to benefit from treatment with the Rotahaler. This device should increase the value of the sympathomimetic drugs to the minority of asthma patients who cannot use conventional aerosols correctl

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01486.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryIn a double‐blind study the therapeutic effect of a 4% disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) nasal solution was evaluated in thirty‐nine patients with acute symptoms of ragweed hay fever. Patients were randomly assigned to the DSCG or placebo group as they presented with allergic rhinitis. Overall, the DSCG was not more effective than placebo in controlling the symptoms of rhinitis or in decreasing the need for concomitant antihistamines or corticosteroids. Among patients with the highest pretreatment serum ragweed‐specific IgE (RW IgE) levels, drug‐treated patients had some reduction in symptoms as compared to their placebo controls during the peak of the ragweed pollen season. DSCG treatment did not influence the usual seasonal rise in RW IgE. Side effects from both the active and placebo aerosols were frequent but mild.We conclude that DSCG nasal solution used for the treatment of seasonal ragweed allergic rhinitis is relatively inef

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01487.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryThe possible role of human dander in house dust allergy was investigated. Naturally shed human mite‐free skin squames were collected from bedding and used to prepare a human dander extract. When the extract was coupled to cyanogen bromide‐activated paper discs, and used in the RAST assay, IgE titres to the skin extract were observed in the sera from several patients with house dust allergy. The sera with IgE to the skin extract also had high IgE titres to either house dust,D. pteronyssinusor cat fur. RAST inhibition studies revealed cross‐reaction between the human skin extract and both aD. pteronyssinusextract and a cat fur ex

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01488.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummarySerum antibodies to cow milk proteins and ovalbumin were measured quantitatively. Food hypersensitivity of the immediate type was determined to be present or absent by skin tests and double‐blind food challenges. Elevated levels of antibodies to milk proteins in sera characteristic of infants fed cow milk were found to decline with age, so that sera from children who were 6 to 15 years of age (inclusive), not hypersensitive to food, had significantly lower levels than the infants. In contrast, sera from age‐matched children, who were shown to have hypersensitivity to some food, were found to have levels of antibodies to milk proteins as elevated as in infancy. Hypersensitivity was not necessarily to milk but often to some other food. This persistence of greater antibody production to milk throughout childhood in those hypersensitive to some food indicates a fundamental difference from those without hypersensitivity to food, either in permeability, in immunological reactivity of the gut or in development of immunological unresponsiveness. Implications for pathogenesis of clinical disorders are discus

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01489.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

SummaryA simple method for the estimation of low serum IgE levels is presented.Radioimmunoassay often gives falsely high values because of the presence of non‐specific factors in the serum when an excessive amount of serum is used in order to measure low serum IgE levels. Therefore the serum sample has to be diluted to minimize the influence of the non‐specific factors and the lowest IgE level measurable in the serum is about 5 u/ml.In this study, pretreatment of the serum with cellulose powder was found to remove the non‐specific factors that yield falsely high values. These factors were adsorbed almost completely onto cellulose powder when the serum IgE level was less than 100 u/ml. Thus, low serum IgE levels could be determined by radioimmunoassay using a sufficient amount of serum pretreated by cellulose powder. The lowest serum IgE level measurable by this method was as low as 0.5 u/ml and the low IgE level in neonatal serum could be determined with sufficient accuracy. By this method the geometric level of IgE in cord serum was 2.45 u/ml with a ±2 standard deviations range of 1.04 to 5.8

ISSN:0954-7894    

DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2222.1977.tb01490.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1977

数据来源: WILEY