[Rhinoconjunctivitis: importance of a local diagnosis?].

Diagnosis of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, particularly in chronic forms, remains sometimes difficult. Systemic tests such as skin or blood tests may be not sufficient to assess local sensitization. Local tests are needed, performed from nasal secretion or tears.

[Particular aspects of rhinitis and rhino-conjunctivitis].

The authors report their experience of 28 years of practice in the opthalmology service of the CHRU at Rennes. The describe certain particular aspects of rhinitis and rhino-conjuctivitis where the danger resides in an extensive risk to the uvula or the bronchi. They insist on the importance of understanding polyvalents in internal medicine (rôle of the seat of gingivodentary "ideas", value of research into indicative markers of protection A2 and B40 in the HLA system.

[Zinc and seasonal conjunctivitis].

After a review of the properties of zinc, the authors report their experience in the use of this oligo-element in seasonal conjunctivitis. The study covers 79 subjects (35 women, 44 men, mean age 23 years +/- 7-79) and had the aim of clarifying the improvement obtained by the addition of zinc sulphate in a basal formulation that included AH1 antihistamines, taken only on demand. All the subjects were bi-sensitised and had commenced a desensitisation to pollens which had been poorly tolerated or badly maintained.

[Importance of studying deficiencies of IgG subclasses (IgG2 and IgG4) in immuno-allergologic practice].

Levels of the sub-classes of immunoglobulins IgG2 and IgG4 have been established by radial diffusion with monoclonal antibodies in 150 subjects. 49 (42 adults and 7 children) showed either a low level of IgG2 (less than 0.42 g/l n = 11) or a reduced level of IgG4 (less than 0.