Comparison of skin tests to aeroallergens in Ankara and Seoul.

Background: The environment contains many allergenic proteins, and skin test reactivity to aeroallergens may be different among people living in different regions.

Objective: To compare skin test results of Turkish and Korean patients with respiratory allergies.

Methods: The charts of 304 (160 male, 144 female) patients from Ankara, Turkey, and 208 (111 male, 97 female) patients' charts from Seoul, Korea, who had undergone skin prick tests were reviewed.

Levothyroxine versus ketotifen in the treatment of patients with chronic urticaria and thyroid autoimmunity.

Background: Thyroid hormone replacement therapy has previously been discussed as a feasible therapeutic approach in patients with chronic urticaria and/or angio-oedema (CUA) and thyroid autoimmunity (TA).

Objective: The efficacy of levothyroxine was investigated in patients with CUA and TA by comparing it with ketotifen treatment.

Methods: A total of 60 patients with CUA and TA were included in the study.

Nonpigmenting solitary fixed drug eruption after skin testing and intra-articular injection of triamcinolone acetonide.

Background: Although several medications have been reported to cause fixed drug eruption (FDE) reactions, triamcinolone acetonide has not been previously described as an offending agent.

Objective: To emphasize both an unprecedented causative agent and the extraordinary development of a FDE, we describe this response in a 42-year-old female patient.

Methods: Because her history included a questionable reaction to corticosteroid preparations, prick and intradermal testing with triamcinolone acetonide was done to determine whether she could safely receive a triamcinolone acetonide injection.

Fever of unknown origin in a 10-year-old boy with allergic rhinitis and asthma.

We believe this case represents a clear example of drug fever, and it appears to be the first report to implicate ketotifen as the responsible agent, confirmed with double rechallenge. The recognition of drug fever is clinically important. Failure to recognize the etiologic relationship between the drug and fever has unnecessary consequences, including extra testing, empiric therapy, and longer hospital stays.

Renin angiotensin aldosterone system and drug allergies complicated with hypotension.

It has been discussed in several studies that non-immunologic factors, such as renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) may play a role in the pathophysiology of anaphylaxis. This study aimed to determine whether RAAS plays a part in the fall in blood pressure during drug reactions or not. Twenty patients who experienced hypotension during drug reaction and 15 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study.