Abstract
Using autologous atreptococcal antigen inhalative provocation tests were carried out on 25 patients with asthmatic bronchitis or bronchial asthma, with the following results. Intracutaneous tests with freezing and thawing antigen on 9 patients with asthmatic bronchitis or bronchial asthma revealed immediate reaction in 2 patients. None of them suffered from delayed reaction. P-K tests with polysaccharide antigen were positive in 2 out of 5 patients. Inhalative provocation tests using freezing and thawing antigen demonstrated early and late type reaction in 13 out of 15 patients with asthmatic bronchitis. In the case of polysaccharide antigen, inhalative provocation tests induced only early type reaction in 7 out of 8 patients with asthmatic bronchitis or bronchial asthma. Respiratory symptoms provoked by inhalation of streptococcal antigen were mild and existed for only a short time in patients with asthmatic bronchitis, while they were sever and persisted longer in patents with bronchial asthma. The role of bacterial allergy in the etiology of asthmatic bronchitis was discussed.
