Clustering of foodstuffs in food hypersensitivity. An inquiry study in pollen allergic patients.

600 pollen allergic patients were questioned about hypersensitivity symptoms from various foodstuffs. The answers regarding one foodstuff were compared with those of other foodstuffs making 780 tables, from which the Spearmen 's correlation coefficients were calculated. Most of the combinations of foodstuffs showed statistically significant correlations.

Hypersensitivity to foods among birch pollen-allergic patients. Immunochemical inhibition studies for evaluation of possible mechanisms.

Several statistical investigations have indicated that an immunological partial identity might exist between birch pollen an some foods because of the existence of concurrent hypersensitivity symptoms to both sources. In order to study this, two groups of BP (birch pollen)-allergic patients (20 with (F+) and 20 without (F-) food hypersensitivity) were skin prick tested with extracts of various foods prepared in different ways. Sera from these patients were inhibited with different foods, including a lectin, Con A (concanavalin A), before analysis in BP-RAST and -CRIE.

Birch pollen-related food hypersensitivity: influence of total and specific IgE levels. A multicenter study.

Total IgE, RAST results with tree pollen allergens, and prick test results with birch, grass and mugwort pollen allergens were correlated to 872 hay fever patients' reported food hypersensitivity (FH). A positive correlation was found between FH and the RAST and prick test results with birch pollen allergen. At each level of birch pollen sensitivity the incidence of FH was lower in patients with high total IgE than in those with lower total IgE.

Combined theophylline/beta-agonists maintenance therapy in chronic asthma.

The therapeutic value of adding a slow-release theophylline product (Theo-Dur) to the regular treatment program consisting of beta-stimulants and steroids was evaluated in 31 adult asthmatics. Theophylline in a dose of 300 mg or placebo was administered twice daily during two 14-day periods in a randomized double-blind cross-over study. PEF and asthma symptoms were recorded daily.

Food hypersensitivity in patients with pollen allergy.

Six hundred patients with pollen allergy answered a questionnaire about food hypersensitivity. Hypersensitivity to various nuts, fruits and roots was reported more often by patients with birch pollen allergy (70%) than by patients without birch pollen allergy (19%). The stronger the skin test reaction to birch pollen, the higher was the incidence of food hypersensitivity.

A comparison of sustained-release terbutaline and ordinary terbutaline in bronchial asthma.

The effects and side effects in steady state of a sustained-release preparation of terbutaline 7.5 mg twice daily were compared with ordinary tablets 5 mg three times daily. The study performed for two weeks was double-blind, double-dummy, cross-over with randomized allocation of the drugs.

A new inhalation technique for freon aerosols. Terbutaline aerosol with a tube extension in a 2-day cross-over comparison with salbutamol aerosol.

In a double-blind, cross-over, 2-day study 32 adult asthmatic patients compared the bronchodilating effect of 0.5 mg terbutaline sulphate aerosol, administered via a 10 cm tube extension attached to the actuator of a pressurized aerosol, with that of 0.2 mg salbutamol sulphate, administered by a conventional pressurized aerosol.

Immunotherapy in spring-time hay fever. A clinical and immunological study comparing two different treatment extract compositions.

In a study of the efficacy of two different treatment schedules for perennial immunotherapy, 47 adult patients with spring-time hay fever due to allergy against birch and other deciduous trees were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: one group received birch, alder and hazel allergen in Allpyral, another group received the same Allpyral mixture and in addition all relevant tree pollens in aqueous extract and a control group received no injections. For determination of antibody titres the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and the ammonium sulphate precipitation (ASP) technique were used. Cellular responsiveness was studied by measuring birch pollen (BP) induced leucocyte histamine release in peripheral blood.

Allergy to pollen from different deciduous trees in Sweden. An investigation with skin tests, provocation tests and the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) in springtime hay fever patients.

92 adult patients with springtime allergy were investigated with skin tests, provocation tests and the RAST. Allergen extracts from 12 different deciduous trees were used. Positive reactions, often of high intensity, were most often found with birch, alder, bog-myrtle, beech and hazel allergens whereas oak, aspen, linden, elm, sallow, maple and poplar allergens more often gave negative or only weak positive test results.

Food sensitivity reported by patients with asthma and hay fever. A relationship between food sensitivity and birch pollen-allergy and between food sensitivity and acetylsalicylic acid intolerance.

Among adult patients with bronchial asthma and/or allergic rhinitis undergoing allergological investigation with skin test, nasal provocation test and RAST, 1129 answered a questionaire regarding food sensitivity (FS). 276 (24%) of the patients reported some kind of allergic symptoms on eating or handling various foods, of which hazel nut, apple and shell fish were the most often named. Females reported FS more often than males.

The rapidity of bronchodilatation. A comparison of isoprenaline, terbutaline and rimiterol.

The onset of action of three sympathomimetic drugs (rimiterol 0.2 mg, terbutaline 0.25 mg and isoprenaline 0.

NBT-test in asthmatic patients with regard to bacterial infections and steroid therapy.

In this communication we report our negative experience in differentiating bacterially infected from non-infected adult asthmatic patients, using a simplified modification of the NBT-test. The outcome of the test was unrelated to the steroid dose of the patient.

Diagnosis of reaginic allergy with house dust, animal dander and pollen allergens in adult patients. III. Case histories and combinations of case histories, skin tests and the radioallergosorbent test, RAST, compared with provocation tests.

Case histories alone and combined with the results of skin tests and/or the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) were compared with the results of provocation tests in 397 patients with asthma or allergic rhinitis. Case histories often turned out to be doubtful. The agreement between negative histories and negative provocation tests was 77% and that between positive histories and positive provocation tests 64%.

Diagnosis of reaginic allergy with house dust, animal dander and pollen allergens in adult patients. IV. An evaluation of the clinical value of skin test, radioallergosorbent test, case history and combinations of these methods.

With the assumption that a provocation test gives the correct diagnosis, the possibility of predicting an allergy by means of the case history, a skin test, radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and combinations of these methods was evaluated for house dust, cow-, cat-, dog-, and horse-dander, timothy-, marguerite-, dandelion- and birch-pollen allergens. All procedures were found to give a reliable diagnosis provided that a group with doubtfoul group, requiring further diagnostic investigations, was smallest when all three methods were used in combination. It is suggested that, in addition to the case history, the first procedure in routine diagnosis with inhalant allergens should be a skin test.

Diagnosis of reaginic allergy with house dust, animal dander and pollen allergens in adult patients. V. A comparison between the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), provocation tests, skin tests and RAST.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) employing allergen adsorbed onto the internal surface of a plastic tube, and alkaline phosphatase conjugated anti-IgE was used for the determination of specific IgE antibodies to various inhalant allergens in serum samples from 255 individuals with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. A total of 541 analyses were carried out and the results were compared with those of provocation tests, skin tests and the RAST. It was found that negative ELISA values with high probability indicated nonallergy and very high ELISA values (class greater than or equal to 5) indicated allergy.

Diagnosis of reaginic allergy with house dust, animal dander and pollen allergens in adult patients. II. A comparison between skin tests and provocation tests.

The results of skin tests (ST) were compared with those of 2,055 provocation tests (PT) in 403 patients with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis. The overall agreement between ST and PT results was 77%. Various correlation figures were found for different allergens.