QUANTITATIVE SKIN PRICK TESTS AND SERUM IGE ANTIBODIES IN ATOPIC ASTHMATICS

We assessed the immediate skin reactivity to Dermatophagoides pteronys sinus in children with atopic asthma in order to determine the intensi ty of the skin reaction, ifs time course and the end-point allergen co ncentration. We also examined the correlation between the total and D. pteronyssinus - specific IgE levels and the severity of asthma. Asthm atic children were age- and sex matched to nonatopic children. Signifi cant eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE levels were correlated with t he presence of asthma but bore no relation to the severity of the dise ase. The average end-point allergen concentration was approximately 50 allergy units (AU). The mean wheal diameter ranged from 6.1 mm in mil d asthmatics to 7.1 mm in severe cases; this difference, however, was not significant. Most of the patients (85%) reported local pruritus wi thin 120 seconds after allergen injection. The time lag until the star t of the reaction and the wheal diameters were correlated with the lev els of D. pteronyssinus - specific serum IgE antibodies, and with the end-point allergen concentration. These two variables therefore provid e good indicators of the time course and the extent of the skin test r eaction in individuals sensitive to the allergen tested.