Abstract
Recently, the grass-planting has been conducted to prevent erosion in the places where construction works have been finished; and for this purpose, Kentucky 31 Fescue is now widely planted all over the country. This plant produces a large number of pollens. There is, therefore, a strong possibility that it will act as an allergen of pollinosis. A representative case of asthma caused by the pollen of Kentucky 31 Fescue was reported. On intracutaneous testing, 42 of 161 asthmatic children(26%)showed a positive response with Kentucky 31 Fescue pollen extract. In PK testing, 6 out of 8 cases showed a positive reaction. In the intracutaneous test in which several kinds of graminae pollens were used, 6 out of 14(43%)asthma cases proved positive exclusively to Kentucky 31 Fescue pollen, while the remaining 8 cases showed positive not only to Kentucky 31 Fescue pollen, but also to other graminae pollens in various conbinations. As a provocative test, a reduction of P.E.F.R. of 15 per cent or more and/or asthmatic symptoms including wheezing were considered positive. As a result, all 3 patients tested reacted positively to Kentucky 31 Fescue pollen extract administered by inhalation. From these results, it was assumed that the pollen of Kentucky 31 Fescue can act as the specific allergen in bronchial asthma, although it has common antigenicity to other graminae pollens as well.
