VENOM SKIN-TESTS IN INSECT-ALLERGIC AND INSECT-NONALLERGIC POPULATIONS

[摘要] Intradermal skin tests with varying concentrations of honeybee, yellow jacket, white-faced hornet, yellow hornet, and Polistes venoms were done on 85 patients with histories of insect-sting anaphylaxis and on 56 insect-nonallergic subjects. Positive skin tests (wheal .gtoreq. 5 to 10 mm and flare .gtoreq. 11 to 20 mm) were present in 67 insect-allergic patients at venom concentrations ranging from 0.001 .mu.g/ml to 0.1 .mu.g/ml. Seven additional allergic patients had positive skin tests with the 1.0 .mu.g/ml venom concentration. Twenty-six nonallergic subjects had positive skin tests at the venom concentration of 1.0 .mu.g/ml, and two patients had positive skin tests at the lower venom concentration (0.001 to 0.1 .mu.g/ml). These results confirm venom skin tests as a highly sensitive method of detecting venom-specific IgE in the evaluation of patients with stinging-insect hypersensitivity. Since a large percentage of insect-nonallergic subjects reacted to the 1.0 .mu.g/ml concentration, clinical judgement and further in vitro testing should be considered in the evaluation of patients who react only at this venom concentration.

[发布日期] 1985-12-01