ATMOSPHERIC MOLDS IN THE PARIS AREA - STUDY CARRIED OUT BY AREPFORCAL78 92/

With the aim of assessing the usefulness of skin tests using atmospher ic mould extracts, in our practice in the Paris area, this type of inv estigation was carried out routinely using mould mixture n-degrees 1 ( Stallergenes, MM1) and with its 4 separate constituents in 329 patient s requiring the evaluation of skin reactivity in one of our 25 centres . The test was positive with MM1 49 times (14.9%), with sensitivity to at least one of the moulds of the group 40 times, while the test with MM1 was negative in 47 patients (14.2%) showing a skin reaction to on e of these moulds. Skin sensitivity for Cladosporium was found in 64 c ases (19%), for Penicillium in 28 (8%), for Alternaria in 27 (8%) and for Aspergillus in 20 patients (6%). Characteristics of patients with sensitisation to mixture MM1 revealed a significantly high incidence o f seasonal pathology (Chi2 = 14.33 ; p < 0.001) and young age, below 3 0 (Chi2 = 18.69 ; p < 0.001). These two characteristics were seen in p atients with a skin reaction to Alternaria while only the seasonal cha racteristic was significant in the case of Penicillium and age under 3 0 in that of Cladosporium. The authors suggest that the MM1 test shoul d no longer be used firstline, being replaced by separate mould tests. They discuss the special environmental factors in their geographic ar ea, in particular the loops of the river Seine and the humid habitats in proximity to them. They suggest the continuation of investigations with the aim of defining the possible pathogenic role of these moulds, so often capable of causing skin reactions in patients from the Paris area.