Comparison of allergen-induced late inflammatory reactions in the nose and in the skin in house dust mite-allergic patients with or without asthma.

Background: It remains to be established which factors contribute to the occurrence of asthma in allergic individuals. We hypothesized that differences in the late allergic inflammatory reaction to allergen between asthmatic and non-asthmatic house dust mite-allergic individuals might contribute to the difference in the clinical presentation of allergy.

Aim: To compare allergen-induced changes in parameters for cellular inflammation during the phase of the late allergic reaction in the skin and nose, in house dust mite-allergic individuals with or without asthma.

Differences in nonspecific bronchial responsiveness between patients with asthma and patients with rhinitis are not explained by type and degree of inhalant allergy.

Patients with allergic asthma have higher levels of nonspecific bronchial responsiveness than patients with allergic rhinitis. The aim of the study was to investigate whether this is caused by differences in the degree of allergy to inhalant allergens between asthmatics and rhinitics. Therefore, bronchial responsiveness to histamine was measured in 25 allergic patients with isolated upper airways symptoms.

Fel d 1-specific IgG antibodies induced by natural exposure have blocking activity in skin tests.

Cat-allergic patients frequently have IgG antibodies directed against Fel d 1. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these IgG antibodies influence the results of the skin test. Titrated skin tests were performed with Fel d 1 and IgE and IgG antibody levels were measured in 59 patients with cat allergy.

The relationship between RAST and skin test results in patients with asthma or rhinitis: a quantitative study with purified major allergens.

Background: Study of the relationship between skin test results and IgE antibody levels is seriously hampered by the use of conventional allergen extracts because the precise amount of relevant allergen for each patient is unknown.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate skin reactivity with purified major allergens and to assess the relation with serum levels of IgE antibodies and to determine which additional factors contribute to the skin test result.

Methods: We used five purified major allergens (Der p 1, Der p 2, Fel d 1, Lol p 1, and Lol p 5) in skin tests, RASTs, and histamine release tests in 43 multisensitized patients with asthma or rhinitis.

[HIV and dentistry. Part 10. Concluding remarks].

In a summarizing report of the series 'HIV and dentistry' the most important aspects of the dental treatment of HIV-seropositive patients are dealt with, supplemented with some additional comments.