Allergological characteristics were studied on 36 patients with respiratory diseases (30 cases of bronchial asthma, 3 cases of diffuse panbronchiolitis, 3 cases of allergic granulomatous angitis, and 1 case of bronchiectasia) who received spa therapy at Misasa Branch Hospital.
1. The results obtained in patients with bronchial asthma were as follows:
Serum IgE levels were generally low, and many cases with less than 301IU/ml were observed (185±184/ml in female patients and 469±532IU/ml in male patients). The rate of positive skin reactions to various allergens was low in these asthma cases. A rather low rate of positive skin reaction to house dust, in particular, was characteristic. In regard to the rate of releasing chemical mediators such as bistamine and leukotrienes from leukocytes stimulated by Ca ionophore A 23187, a wide variety of cases were observed (histamine, 3.4-51.1%; LT B4 9.8-119.8ng/106 cell; LT C4, 3.5-43.8ng/106 cells). By analyzing cell components in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), notable increase in the number of eosinophils were observed especially in male patients, although no other significant differences were shown between the two groups.
2. In those patients with respiratory diseases other than asthma, a remarkable increase in the number of neutrophils in BALF was seen in diffuse panbronchiolitis cases and a remarkable increase in the number of eosinophils in BALF was seen in the cases of allergic granulomatous angities. Serum IgE levels were low in both of these cases.
