bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immunological aspects of respiratory allergy in budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) fanciers
Authors: FAUX J. A. , WIDE L. , HARGREAVE F. E. , LONGBOTTOM J. L. , PEPYS J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryPrecipitins against budgerigar serum proteins were not found in subjects without budgerigars or in healthy budgerigar fanciers. In budgerigar fanciers with respiratory disease, precipitins were found in sixteen out of nineteen suffering from allergic alveolitis, in four out of fourteen with asthma and two others in whom other respiratory diseases had been diagnosed. Specific IgE to budgerigar serum proteins was present in the atopic subjects with asthma due to budgerigar allergen but not in the nonatopic subjects with allergic alveolitis. Haemagglutination tests corresponded with the precipitin tests. Radio‐immunoelectrophoretic tests showed that the precipitins belonged in the IgG, IgM and IgA classes. The presence of precipitins in budgerigar fanciers was closely associated with the presence of respiratory disease.
Detection of penicillin allergy of the immediate type by radioimmunoassay of reagins (IgE) to penicilloyl conjugates
Authors: WIDE LEIF , JUHLIN LENNART 
Published: April 2006

SummaryReaginic antibodies (IgE) to penicilloyl were detected by an in vitro method, a radioimmunological technique (RAST), in the sera of nine patients out of eleven with a recent history of penicillin hypersensitivity of the immediate type. Provocation tests in two patients with negative RAST were negative as well as in twelve patients having had a possible penicillin hypersensitivity reaction 7 months to 14 years ago. Results from skin tests and RAST agreed. Skin tests and RAST reactions were negative for thirty‐two patients with a history of penicillin reactions of the delayed type. The results of this study indicate that the RAST is a valuable alternative to the more dangerous intracutaneous test with penicilloyl‐polylysine for‐detection of penicillin hypersensitivity of the immediate type.
Clinical trial of topical disodium cromoglycate in vernal kerato‐conjunctivitis
Authors: EASTY D. L. , RICE N. S. C. , JONES BARRIE R. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe results of a double blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial of topical administration of disodium cromoglycate drops to one eye and placebo drops to the other eye in the treatment of vernal kerato‐conjunctivitis in twenty‐two patients indicates that the drug has a significant therapeutic effect. Patients vary in the degree of their response, but nearly all are helped. From long‐term uncoded administration of the drug to both eyes in sixty‐one patients, it has been found that supplementation with topical steroid may be required for short periods to control acute exacerbations of the disease. However, it is now possible to reduce or avoid the use of steroids in many cases, and thus greatly reduce the dangers of steroid‐induced glaucoma or steroid‐enhanced herpetic keratitis. No side effects have been noted other than occasional irritation apparently due to thiomersal, the bacteriostatic agent used in the trial preparation. This irritancy, which was not detected in preliminary animal experiments, or in trials in volunteers, occurred only during periods of exacerbation of vernal disease. The findings suggest that there is an important Type I hypersensitivity phenomenon in the pathogenesis of the disease, and although other mechanisms are probably also involved, modification of this Type I reaction is of therapeutic benefit.
Mites and house dust allergy
Authors: BILIOTTI G. , PASSALEVA A. , ROMAGNANI S. , RICCI M. 
Published: April 2006

Summary279 patients, most of whom had perennial asthma or perennial rhinitis, were tested intradermally with extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae in order to ascertain the incidence of positive skin reactions. The great majority of house dust sensitive patients had positive skin reactions to both mite extracts. However, the concordance between house dust and mite extract positive skin reactions, though statistically significant, did not reach the extent found in other countries.Of the three extracts employed, D. pteronyssinus appeared to contain the most potent allergen while its culture medium extract yielded a low percentage of positive skin reactions. These results suggest that, in italy also, mites seem to represent the most important allergenic source of house dust.
Asthma due to inhaled chemical fumes—amino‐ethyl ethanolamine in aluminium soldering flux
Authors: PEPYS J. , PICKERING C. A. C. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThree patients with asthma due to the fumes of aluminium soldering flux containing amino‐ethyl ethanolamine were tested by occupational type exposures to the fumes of the flux and the amino‐ethyl ethanoiamine. Typical late asthmatic reactions not inhibited by disodium cromoglycate were produced, one patient also giving an immediate asthmatic reaction which was inhibited by disodium cromoglycate.
Asthma due to inhaled wood dusts—Western red cedar and Iroko
Authors: PICKERING C. A. C. , BATTEN J. C. , PEPYS J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryOccupational type exposure tests with wood dusts provoked specific late asthmatic reactions to Iroko or cedar wood dust in two asthmatic woodworkers respectively. Aqueous extracts gave immediate reactions only to Iroko in the Iroko sensitive patient, who also had precipitins only to the Iroko extract. No skin or serological or inhalation test reactions were given in non‐exposed subjects.
Allergenic and biological activities of melittin from honey bee venom
Authors: MACKLER B. F. , RUSSELL A. S. , KREIL G. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryPatients sensitive to bee stings had immediate weal‐and‐flare (WF) and painful late reactions when skin tested with purified melittin, the main toxin of bee venom. The WF reactions were immunologically non‐specific, as melittin is a potent histamine‐releasing agent. The late reactions which persisted after 4–5 hr appeared to result from immunological hypersensitivity to bee stings since normal patients had no late reactions. Reaginic and precipitable antibodies against melittin were not found in the sera from any of the bee sting sensitive patients. Cellular hypersensitivity against melittin was not detected by the leucocyte migration inhibition test.The haemolytic and leucocyte migration inhibition activities of melittin were associated with the intact molecule and not the carboxy‐terminal heptapeptide.
Clinical and immunological responses to enzymes of Bacillus subtilis in factory workers and consumers
Authors: PEPYS J. , WELLS I. D. , D'SOUZA M. F. , GREENBERG M. 
Published: April 2006

SummarySkin (prick) and serological tests were made with enzyme preparations of Bacillus subtilis in exposed factory workers and potential ‘consumers’. Prick tests with these materials at 10 mg/ml gave positive immediate reactions in twenty‐six out of sixty‐five factory workers. Eighteen of the factory workers were classified as atopic because of allergy to common allergens and fifteen gave positive reactions to the enzymes compared with eleven out of forty‐seven non‐atopic workers. A group of eleven of the factory workers had consistent ventilatory impairment on repeated examination; all were prick test positive and seven were atopic, and four non‐atopic.Of 2500 patients attending for investigation of respiratory allergy, 40% were highly atopic, 40% moderately atopic and 20% non‐atopic. 80% were consumers of biological detergents. Only two gave weak, not clinically relevant, prick test reactions to the enzyme preparations.In radioallergosorbent (RAST) tests for specific IgE antibody against the enzyme preparations, counts in the present investigation of 600/30 sec or more corresponded best with prick test positivity, such values being found in twelve of the fifteen prick test positive atopics and in eight of the eleven workers with ventilatory impairment.Comparison of the RAST counts on sera from cord blood and from the patients who included non, light and heavy consumers showed increasingly higher specific IgE counts in these groups, although these counts were almost all below the level of 600/30 sec, which corresponded with skin test reactions and clinical relevance.Radioimmunodiffusion (RID) and radioimmunoelectrophoretic (RIEP) tests with enzyme preparations gave positive reactions only in the factory workers, of whom forty‐three had IgG and twenty‐one IgA antibody, none having only IgE antibody.
Changes in challenge tests following hyposensitization with mite extract
Authors: ASSEM E. S. K. , McALLEN MONICA K. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe changes in a wide variety of in vivo and in vitro tests following a long course of low antigen dosage hyposensitization therapy in fifteen asthmatic patients with house dust mite allergy are reported.Evidence of clinical improvement was shown by decreased bronchodilator requirement. Bronchial challenge testing showed a significant increase in bronchial tolerance to mite antigen. Nasal and skin tests with mite extract, however, did not show a significant change.In contrast to the development of bronchial tolerance and to the clinical improvement, some of the in vitro tests seemed to provide evidence of hypersensitization. The leucocyte test, for example, showed increased sensitization to the mite antigen, as well as an increase in histamine release by anti‐IgE serum. Total serum IgE was also increased, but this was apparently due to non‐allergen specific IgE.Although the leucocyte test showed increased sensitization to mite antigen, serum reaginic activity as measured by the passive sensitization of human lung did not show any increase. Thus, there seemed to be a difference in the affinity of allergen‐specific IgE for leucocytes as compared with lung tissue. It also appeared that leucocyte response to antigen bore no relationship to sensitization of other tissues, particularly the bronchial tree.The mechanism of clinical hyposensitization by low dosage immunotherapy is discussed. It is suggested that apart from the development of blocking antibodies, other mechanisms seem likely. Among these are a change in the affinity of IgE antibodies for different tissues, and a competition between non‐specific IgE (produced in excess as a result of immunotherapy) and allergen‐specific IgE.
The radioallergosorbent test with a purified allergen from codfish
Authors: AAS K. , LUNDKVIST U. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe radioallergosorbent test (RAST) was performed with a purified allergen (DS 22) from cod, coupled to CNBr‐activated cellulose discs. A 100% correlation was found between a positive RAST and the presence of clinical allergy to cod in fifty‐six children as compared to a negative RAST in all sera from fifty‐six allergic children tolerating fish. Positive results were obtained with discs treated with DS 22 in a concentration as low as 0.4 ng/ml.
Measurement of resistance to air flow in the nose in a trial with sodium cromoglycate (BP) solution in allergen‐induced nasal stenosis
Authors: JENSSEN ARNE O. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryA new method for measuring nasal resistance is presented by which it is possible to record reproducible and consistent data on nasal flow and resistance. This method was applied to a double blind trial of 2% solution of sodium cromoglycate. Ten adult patients with allergic rhinitis due to grass pollen were assessed during the winter. One nostril was challenged 1 hr after the administration of sodium cromoglycate or placebo given in random order. Eight patients showed significant protection with sodium cromoglycate.
The importance of mites in house dust sensitivity in Barbadian asthmatics
Authors: PEARSON R. S. BRUCE , CUNNINGTON A. M. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryHouse dust sensitivity is a common precipitating cause of naso‐respiratory allergy in Barbados. A high degree of correlation between skin tests to house dust and to mite extracts was found. The pyroglyphid species Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus occurred in high densities in samples of mattress and bedroom dust. Twenty‐two other species of mites were identified in the dust samples and in certain cases some of these species were more abundant than D. pter. Skin tests were positive in a high proportion of dust sensitive asthmatics tested with extracts prepared from five species of mite in addition to D. pter. and D. farinae. There appears to be a relationship between the density of D. pter. in mattress dust and allergy to house dust.
Uptake of disodium cromoglycate in obstructive airways disease
Authors: BENSON M. K. , CURRY S. H. , MILLS G. G. D'A. , HUGHES D. T. D. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe urinary excretion of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) was used as an index of the amount reaching the lungs in nine normal subjects and in fifteen patients with obstructive airways disease. Vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak inspiratory flow rate (PIF) through the spinhaler were also measured. The amount of DSCG detected in urine varied considerably. It was correlated with the physiological measures and with age. The usual DSCG excretion pattern was of a declining excretion rate from 0 to 3 hr following the dose, but certain individuals showed a rise to the second hour, before a fall occurred in the third hour. The occurrence of a rise was associated with a very low reading in the first hour, which in turn was associated with severe obstructive airways disease. Overall, the lowest excretion rates, and the poorest scores for VC, FEV1 and PIF were recorded in a sub‐group of five chronic bronchitics, who were also the oldest group. In one chronic bronchitic no drug was detected. The highest excretion rates and best physiological scores were recorded in the normal subjects, who were also the youngest group.
Cell mediated hypersensitivity in skin reactions to drugs (except contact dermatitis)
Authors: SAURAT J. H. , BURTIN C. J. , SOUBRANE C. B. , PAUPE J. R. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe leucocyte migration test (LMT) was used in thirty patients with skin reactions to drugs (except contact dermatitis) together with other diagnostic tests: lymphocyte transformation test (LTT), specific IgE, passive haemagglutination and patch‐tests.The optimal concentrations of drugs for the use of LMT were determined. In all cases in this series, sensitization to the drug considered responsible was confirmed by a positive LTT or by specific IgE. On the contrary, LMT was positive only four times. The value of LMT in detecting allergic reactions to drugs is therefore limited. Out of four positive LMT, three were obtained in patients with bulla formation, showing a definite mononuclear cell infiltration of the basal membrane, suggestive of a cellular mediated mechanism in such drug reactions.
Heat studies with human IgE: A simple method for rapidly distinguishing sera with high total IgE levels
Authors: BALDO B. A. , WELLS I. D. , PEPYS J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryHuman sera, covering a wide range of total IgE concentrations, were subjected to mild heat treatment for varying periods of time and then examined for their abilities to bind to an Fc‐specific, radioactively labelled rabbit anti‐human IgE serum. As a result of the heat treatment, aggregation of the serum IgE occurred and the aggregated material reacted significantly with the labelled antiserum. Experiments with a standard human IgE serum and over 100 different human serum samples from normal and allergic patients showed that this simple heat method can distinguish high, medium and low levels of IgE in serum. Provided that sufficient examinations are undertaken, the method offers a simple means of rapidly examining large numbers of serum samples and distinguishing those sera with elevated levels of IgE.Differences observed between individual serum samples may indicate physico‐chemical differences in the IgE molecules present in the sera. Such differences may be a further reflection of the heterogeneity of human IgE. The stability of human skin‐sensitizing antibodies is briefly reviewed.
Asthma due to inhaled chemical agents: ampicillin, benzyl penicillin, 6 amino penicillanic acid and related substances
Authors: DAVFES R. J. , HENDRICK D. J. , PEPYS J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThree out of four workers from an antibiotic‐producing factory developed late asthma and eosinophilia on inhalation challenge testing with ampicillin and related substances. The chemicals to which each worker reacted varied, suggesting differences in the clinically important allergens for each individual.The taking by mouth of ampicillin in one patient, and benzyl penicillin in another in therapeutic doses led to the development of late asthma accompanied by skin and gastro‐intestinal disturbances.The inhalation of 200 μg of beclomethasone dipropionate before in one case, and before and 3‐hourly after provocation challenge in the other, blocked the late asthmatic reaction. 40 mg sodium cromoglycate similarly given failed to inhibit the reactions. In one patient, 04416–0.24 mg of isoprenaline sulphate inhaled 10 min before or 60 min after inhalation testing prevented the development of late asthma, and when given during the asthmatic reaction led to its rapid reversal.
Serum and cell bound IgE in chronic urticaria
Authors: GREAVES M. W. , PLUMMER V. M. , McLAUGHLAN P. , STANWORTH D. R. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryBasophil leucocyte‐bound IgE has been investigated in patients with chronic urticaria by the method of reversed anaphylaxis. In this reaction basophil‐bound IgE behaves as an antigen, the amount present being inversely proportional to the concentration of anti‐IgE producing maximum histamine release. Dose‐response curves in which histamine release was plotted against the concentration of anti‐IgE failed to reveal any substantial difference in the optimum concentration of anti‐IgE for maximum release from basophils of urticarial subjects compared with control subjects, thus suggesting there is no quantitative abnormality of basophil bound IgE in chronic urticaria. However, the magnitude of maximum histamine release by anti‐IgE from basophils of urticarial subjects was reduced compared with controls and this was not related to serum IgE concentrations since the mean serum IgE concentration was slightly higher in the urticaria group. Studies of spontaneous and compound 48/80‐evoked histamine release in the two groups did not reveal any differences in stability of histamine stores or in the biochemical histamine release mechanism over a wide range of concentrations of 48/80. These results raise the possibility of a qualitative abnormality of basophil bound IgE in chronic urticaria.
Emergence of basophils at sites of local allergic reactions using a skin vesicle test
Authors: KIMURA IKURO , TANIZAKI YOSHIRO , TAKAHASHI KIYOSHI , SAITO KATSUYOSHI , UEDA NOBUO , SATO SHUICHI 
Published: April 2006

SummaryVesicular exudate, produced by the application of cantharides plaster over normal skin and sites of intradermal allergen injection, was examined for the presence of basophils and eosinophils in normal subjects and patients with bronchial asthma. In comparison with the normals, the asthmatic group demonstrated a high rate of basophil appearance in vesicular fluid derived from areas of untreated skin. Basophil appearance was even more prominent in vesicular fluid from skin injected intradermally with various allergens. Modest numbers of basophils appeared at skin sites injected with house dust, but relatively large numbers appeared in areas injected with Candida, ragweed or tuberculin extracts. Patients with severe, intractable asthma frequently demonstrated large numbers of basophils in vesicular exudates. Intradermal injections of anti‐IgE caused the greatest number of basophils to appear in the vesicular fluid, The numbers of eosinophils migrating into such vesicular lesions were not statistically significant though their numbers were proportional to those of the basophils. A significant correlation was shown to exist between both basophil and eosinophil blood counts and the numbers of these cells appearing in cutaneous vesicular fluid.This study demonstrates that basophil leukocytes, together with eosinophils, migrate from blood into extravascular tissues at sites of allergic reaction—especially reaginic hypersensitivity. The skin vesicle technique described is simpler than the skin window technique and may be of use in detection of allergens and evaluation of allergic disease states.
Appearance of basophils in the sputum of patients with bronchial asthma
Authors: KIMURA IKURO , TANIZAKI YOSHIRO , SAITO KATSUYOSHI , TAKAHASHI KIYOSHI , UEDA NOBUO , SATO SHUICHI 
Published: April 2006

SummaryA total of 108 samples of sputum obtained from twenty patients with bronchial asthma were examined for appearance of basophils and eosinophils. Both cell types are present in sputum during an asthmatic attack and disappear at the conclusion of the attack. Their presence correlates with the severity of the disease. It has previously been demonstrated that the blood basophils count falls during attacks of bronchial asthma, and the present study suggests that basophils move from the blood stream into bronchial tissue during the acute phase of an asthmatic attack.
Asthma due to inhaled chemical agents‐the macrolide antibiotic Spiramycin
Authors: DAVIES R. J. , PEPYS J. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryOne year after starting work in the pharmaceutical industry a 35‐year‐old non‐atopic maintenance engineer developed attacks of sneezing, coughing and breathlessness. These occurred at home during the evening and early morning, never at work during the day. His employment involved contact with a wide variety of chemical agents including the macrolide antibiotic spiramycin.Inhalation challenge tests carried out in hospital with gradually increasing quantities of spiramycin reproduced his symptoms and led to the development of late asthmatic reactions, during which the FEV1 fell by 25% and the FEV1/FVC ratio by 15%. No change occurred in the single breath CO transfer factor nor were crepitations heard over the lung fields which remained normal on chest X‐ray. The patient showed positive immediate skin prick tests to spiramycin and developed blood eosinophilia during the late asthma attacks.Inhalation of sodium cromoglycate either before, or before and hourly after the provocation challenge for 6 hr, failed to prevent the late asthma, although its onset was further delayed.On leaving the pharmaceutical industry the patient's symptoms improved but did not finally clear until his wife, who had worked in a clerical capacity in the same factory also ceased her employment.
The correlation between skin tests, bronchial provocation tests and the serum level of IgE specific for common allergens in patients with asthma
Authors: BRYANT D. H. , BURNS M. W. , LAZARUS L. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryCutaneous and bronchial immediate allergic reactivity and the serum level of IgE specific for each of four common inhalant allergens were determined for 153 asthmatic patients. Positive bronchial reactivity to an extract was not detected in any of the patients with a negative prick test reaction to that extract but did occur in 9% of the patients in whom the serum tests results for IgE specific to that allergen fell within the range regarded as negative. Highly significant correlation coefficients between the degree of bronchial and cutaneous allergic reactivity to the allergen extracts were found and these were slightly but significantly less than the correlation between the serum level of allergen specific IgE and the degree of bronchial allergic reactivity to the allergen extracts. These findings indicate that the results both of prick testing with appropriate extracts and estimation of the serum level of allergen specific IgE can be used to predict not only the presence of detectable bronchial reactivity to inhalant allergens but also the degree of this reactivity. However, for the routine investigation of asthmatic patients measurement of the serum level of allergen specific IgE would appear to have little advantage over properly performed prick tests.