Asthma mortality rate in Swedish children and young adults 1973-88.

To investigate the asthma mortality rate in Sweden for the period 1973-88, we reviewed all death certificates for suspected death from asthma coded as 493 of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-8 and ICD-9 for the age group 1-24 years. Age-related mortality rates were calculated and compared with the results from a previous Swedish study of 1952-72. To identify factors contributing to death, we assessed hospital records.

Peak expiratory flow rates in healthy Saudi Arabian children living in Riyadh.

The peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured in 457 healthy Saudi schoolchildren (235 boys and 222 girls) aged 6 to 16 years, living in Riyadh, using two simple and commercially available airflow meters, Wright peak flow meter and the mini-Wright peak flow meter. All measurements were obtained in the standing position and the best of three trials was recorded. Standing height and age were used as independent variables.

Immunotherapy with cat- and dog-dander extracts. V. Effects of 3 years of treatment.

The effect of a 3-year course of cat or dog immunotherapy (IT) was evaluated in 32 patients with a history of asthma on exposure to cat or dog. Twenty-one subjects (14 children and seven adults) received cat IT and 11 subjects (six children and five adults) received dog IT. Bronchial challenges with allergen and histamine were performed once a year.

Effects of maternal diet during late pregnancy and lactation on the development of IgE and egg- and milk-specific IgE and IgG antibodies in infants.

The IgE levels and food-allergen-specific IgE- and IgG-antibodies (Ab) to ovalbumin (OA), ovomucoid (OVO) and beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) were determined up to 18 months of age in 163 infants born to women who were atopic. A high (HIGH group) or a low (REDUCED group) intake of hen's egg and cow's milk by the mother during the third trimester gave no significant differences in the concentrations of IgE or in IgE-Ab (OVO, BLG) and IgG-Ab (OA, OVO, BLG). Similarly, a prolongation of the abstention diet to the early lactation period did not influence the immune response.

Juvenile pemphigus vulgaris.

Pemphigus vulgaris is extremely rare in childhood. Only 35 cases of juvenile pemphigus vulgaris have been reported in the literature up until to now. During the pre-steroid era, the outcome of the disease was usually regarded as fatal.