This study was carried on 76 patients attending the Chest Department of Bertha University Hospitals and clinically diagnosed as bronchial asthma. Ventilatory functions and intraderrnal skin tests were performed for all of these patients. Ten allergens, prepared in the Microbiology and Immunology Department of Benha Faculty of Medicine, were used in skin testing, including dust of house, hay and cotton, pollen, mixed fungi, wool, and hair of goat, rabbit and dog, and mixed feathers. Control group included ten patients presenting with bronchial asthma and having negative skin test to the same used different allergens in this study. Out of 76 patients under study: 33 (43.4 %) were atopic and 43 (56.6 %) were non atopie with equal sex proportion. The most common allergen in the locality that gave positive skin test was house dust in 28 (82.3 VD) cases followed by pollen in II (32.3%) cases then hay and cotton dust 10 (29.4%) cases. 25 cases having positive skin test for house dust and abnormal ventilatory functions were subjected for testing their specific IgE to house dust by enzyme linked allergosorbent test (EAST), 23 (92%) cases out of them showed increased levels of IgE with different grades compared with normal levels. By comparing the different grades of positive intradermal skin test to house dust allergen and the specific IgE level to the same allergen in.this study it was found that they are closely related to each other. In conclusion: the skin test is the most sensitive and cheapest one, and can be used for a large number of patients. EAST is also sensitive and specific test but has the disadvantage of being expensive, so it should be used only for diagnosis of suspected allergy cases with negative skin test |
