Allergy to beta-lactams: a survey of current practices.

Many issues related to the diagnosis and management of beta-lactam drug allergy still await definitive recommendations. To determine how practicing allergists deal with some of these dilemmas, a questionnaire was mailed to 3500 physician members and fellows of the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology. It was also sent to each of the allergy training program directors in the United States to determine what is currently taught to fellows in training.

The effect of immunotherapy on the cutaneous late phase response to antigen.

Background: This study used the skin chamber model to evaluate prospectively the effect of immunotherapy (IT) on the cutaneous early and late phase response (LPR) to epicutaneous antigen challenge.

Methods: Nine subjects with allergic rhinitis were studied at three time points: before starting IT, after 3 months of IT, and after 6 months of IT. Skin chamber histamine content was measured hourly for 12 hours, and cell counts performed hourly during hours 6 to 12.

Underdiagnosis of asthma in young adults presenting for USAF basic training.

The underdiagnosis of asthma has not been well studied previously. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the diagnosis of asthma had been made previously in young adults who were subsequently shown to have asthma upon entering military service. Questionnaires were answered by all airmen basic referred to the Allergy-Immunology Clinic at Wilford Hall United States Air Force Medical Center over an 11-month period.

HLA-DR4-associated nonresponsiveness to mountain-cedar allergen.

We did human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-DR and DQ typing on 37 subjects with mountain-cedar (MC) pollinosis as defined by history and a positive skin test. Of these 37 subjects, 31 were subdivided into 18 subjects with a single positive skin test (SPST) and 13 subjects with multiple positive skin tests (MPSTs). We also typed 51 subjects without MC sensitivity or atopy as defined by history and negative skin tests to a battery of aeroallergens.