BACTERIA-INDUCED IGE-MEDIATED HISTAMINE-RELEASE - EXAMINATION OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC-BRONCHITIS (CB) DURING ACUTE EXACERBATIONS

Twelve patients hospitalized with acute exacerbations of chronic bronc hitis (CB) and infected in the lower respiratory tract with H. influen zae (HI) or Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) were examined. Bacteria, iso lated from the expectorate caused an IgE-mediated histamine release fr om the patient's own blood leukocytes, indicating that all. were sensi tized to their own bacteria. Sensitization was only observed in some o f the patients when tested with a standard panel of HI or SP obtained from other patients, indicating the importance of using the patient re levant bacterial antigenic determinants. No sensitization was found in twelve controls. The patients showed cellular hyperreactivity to HI a nd SP, i.e. the releasability was higher than in the control group. Th e cellular hyperreactivity was not dependent on sensitization since it was also found against the non-infecting species. Both sensitization and cellular hyperreactivity may contribute to the aggravation of the disease.