1. Onset of symptoms like nasal allergy occurred following application of 1 : 1000 dilution of antihuman IgE rabbit serum (anti-IgE) to the surface of the nasal mucous membrane in the case of nasal allergy. Such nasal reaction was characteristic in atopic nasal allergy, but also in the case with negative skin and nasal provocative test with suspected offending allergen extract but with eosinophilia in nasal smear. By contrast normal persons without nasal allergy showed negative reaction. Using anti-human IgG rabbit serum instead of anti-IgE the same test was performed and positive reaction was not obtained. From the results of the present experiment it was revealed that some case of nasal allergy with negative skin and nasal provocative test with allergen extract was atopic and nasal provocative test with anti-IgE was available in distinguishing atopic nasal allergy from non-atopic one. 2. Additional experiments of anti-IgE nasal test were carried out under varied conditions. As the higher concentrations of anti-IgE were used in the present test, the nasal reactions appeared to become stronger. In comparison of the reactions before and during the periods of 1 to 4 months of hyposensitization treatment, the treatment caused the decrease in the intensity of the reaction. There was a difference in symptom of nasal reaction produced with allergen extract from with anti-IgE: The former was associated with sneezing or itching of the nose more markedly in frequency than the latter and the latter showed watery rhinorrhoea in amount more than the former. 3. The mechanism of the nasal reaction in the present experiment was presumed to be reversed type allergy induced by combination of IgE in the nasal mucous membrane with anti-IgE given.

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Human IgG, aggregated with heat or urea, acquired new biological activities such as complement fixation, antigenicity to rheumatoid factor (RF) and vascular permeability in guinea pig skin. These activities, especially complement fixing ability, were studied in relation with the structural change of IgG. Urea denatured human IgG was separated into polymer-type (pU-IgG) and monomer-type IgG (mU-IgG), and IgG preparations were treated either with 2-Mercaptoethanol (2ME) alone for reduction (pU-IgG(M), mU-IgG(M)) or with both of 2-Mercaptoethanol for reduction and Monoiodoacetamide for alkylation (pU-IgG(MM), mU-IgG(MM)). H-chain and L-chain were obtained by the similar treatment on IgG. Papain digestion of IgG was used to prepare Fab and Fc fragments. Anti-complementary activity of these preparations was measured by Mayer's 50% hemolytic method and by IA inhibition test. Hemolytic activity and immune adherence phenomenon were observed with the tanned sheep red cells coated with these preparations as antigen. In the experimental series fresh guinea pig serum was used as complement source. pU-IgG showed strong anti-complementary activity and fixation of whole complement components in the passive hemolysis test. Reduced and alkylated urea denatured IgG (pU-IgG(MM)) did not show this ability. tH possessed the same ability to fix complement as pU-IgG. Other IgG preparations had little complement fixing ability. Agglutinating activity of RF to most of these preparations (f.e., pU-IgG, pU-IgG(MM)) was seen in the passive hemagglutination test, however, no agglutination could be found between RF and native IgG. It was interesting that hemolysis inhibition was observed on tanned sheep red cells coated with pU-IgG in the high concentration of rheumatoid sera. pU-IgG(MM), which had strong agglutinating antigenicity to RF, showed no hemolytic activity even after reacted with RF. Reduced and alkylated pU-IgG as well as tH did not show fixing ability and vascular permeability in guinea pig skin. On the other hand, Fc was able to fix in guinea pig skin. In conclusion, it was suggested that S-S bond on the surface of pU-IgG played an important role for the fixation and vascular permeability in guinea pig skin, and that the antigenicity to RF was concerned with the conformational structure of denatured IgG which might be created by interaction between IgG molecules. It was also supposed that mutual interaction of H-chains was more important for the complement fixing ability of aggregated H-chain and the S-S bond of Fc portion was not essential structure for it.

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It was tried to observe the nasal sensitivity of nasal allergic patients by means of measuring nasal airway resistance. Nasal mucosa is the place of the disease and in the case of nasal allergy allergic reaction is observed in the place. Therefore provocation test is the most important diagnostic method in nasal allergy. Nasal mucosa is immediately swollen and the disorder of nasal air flow is observed. This phenomenon can be observed quantitatively by nasal airway resistance. This method was tried in a house dust allergic patient and a patient with Japanese cedar pollinosis. Increase of nasal airway resistance was seen in these cases by provocation. At measurement of nasal airway resistance, correct manipulation of the equipment is very important to get accurate value. Quantitative and qualitative problems of allergens should be further investigated.

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1) A subcutaneous injection of sinomenine in a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight elicits a marked degranulation of the mast cells at the abdominal skin in mice. The effect reaches maximum 3 hours after the administration. 2) The presence of enzymes in the mast cells is first investigated, such as malic and succinic dehydrogenase, monoamine oxidase, non-specific esterases, acid and alkaline phosphatase, G-6-P ase, ATP ase, β-glucuronidase and leucine aminopeptidase, and changes of the enzyme activity are examined histochemically over a three hours' period following the injection. 3) In the intact mast cell, activities of malic and succinic dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, β-glucuronidase and leucine aminopeptidase, and diastase-resistant PAS reaction are positive, activities of monoamine oxidase and G-6-P ase poorly positive, and those of non-specific esterases, alkaline phosphatase and ATP ase negative. The enzyme activity is localized mainly in the granules. 4) Following the degranulation, the activities of monoamine oxidase and β-glucuronidase and PAS-positive substances become negative, while the other enzymes present in the intact cell keep the activity in the extra-cellular granules. None of the enzymes which are absent in the intact cell are activated following the degranulation. 5) These findings suggest that the enzyme activities concerning the specific functions of the mast cells are relative labile, and also that the degranulation of the cell requires the energy metabolism.

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Usually allergic asthma is thought to be an anaphylactic type of reaction in the lungs but recently a different pattern of bronchopulmonary hypersensitivity has been described in which pulmonary infiltrations occur in association with precipitating antibodies and a positive Arthus type skin reaction. Besides the above well-known picture of bronchial asthma, we have previously reported a delayed type allergic reaction of the skin and the lungs in guinea pigs as well as in man occurring after injection or inhalation of extracts of Candida albicans. In this paper reports of bronchial asthma and asthma-like dyspnea caused by occupational exposure to simple chemicals have been reviewed and these reactions could be devided into 4 types according to the allergologic patterns observed. (1) immediate type, (2) delayed type, (3) non allergic, irritative type, and (4) undetermined type reactions to these substances. Results of allergologic investigations consisted of inhalation test, skin test, and determination of circulating antibodies in each group have been summarized. To clarify the mechanism of dyspnea, immediate and late respiratory reactions in guinea pigs were recorded by oscillation method after frequent inhalation of simple chemicals such as potassium bichromate, formalin and/or paraphenylene diamine. However, no evidence of specific immunologic reactions was found. Possible explanations for these results were discussed.

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In this report are stated the results of statistical survey on 208 patients with nasal allergy, who were treated and observed in our Allergy Centre, in cooperation with the Department of Oto-Rhino-Pharyngo-Laryngology during past 6 years since the start of the Allergy Centre here. 1) A half of the patients visited our clinic from Shizuoka City, and the rest from its suburbs. 2) As to the sexual distinction, on the whole, the number of the male was equal to that of the female. 3) The authors divided the patients with nasal allergy into 5 groups, according to their clinical histories, local symptoms of nasal cavity, eosinophilia in nasal smear or peripheral blood, the result of intracutaneous tests and nasal provocation test: the RaA group (concluded to be rhinitis allergica by means of nasal provocation test) 11 cases, the RaB group (sure to be rhinitis allergica without nasal provocation test) 62 cases, the RaC group (presumed to be rhinitis allergica) 54 cases, the RV group (considered to be rhintis vasomotorica lacking in allergical factors) 57 cases, and the R group (suitably considered to be rhintis) 24 cases. 4) 32.7% of all of the patients have the hereditary diathesis of rhinitis allergica or asthma bronchial. 5) The frequency of nasal symptoms is heightened in spring (especially in March and April) and autumn (especially in September and October); morning and evening; when it threatens to rain or when cold and warm weather alternate with each other. 6) In addition to such chief symptoms, as sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal obstruction, were often noticed those ophthal sympotms which were considered to be conjunctivitis allergica, i.e. congestion of conjunctiva and itching in palpebrae or surroundings of eyes. And the symptoms of asthma bronchial or preasthmatic stage may be noticed, too. 7) The frequency order of positive reaction to the intracutaneous test by inhalatory allergen extracts (except mould allergens) was as follows: house dust (47.1%), common ragweed pollen, cat's tail pollen (typha angustata), cocoon, Japanese cedar pollen (15.5%), silk, and so on. Among the patients who visited our clinic in spring, 13 cases were considered to be the subjects with Japanese cedar pollinosis judging from the results of allergic investigations. 8) The results of clinical studies on the effect of hyposensitization treatment in 20 patients with rhinitis allergica are also discussed here.

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This case is a man of 43 years old. Bronchial asthma first occurred in 1957, two years after he got an employment, a warehouse keeper dealing with various animal feeds including Alfalfa, Milo, Safflower and Coan. Antigens of each feed and a mixed dust antigen of all feeds mentioned were prepared, and some allergological examinations, skin test, Prausnitz-Kustner reaction and provocative inhalation test, were conducted. All antigens used were shown positive except Coan antigen both in skin test and in inhalation test. In Prausnitz-Kustner reaction, Alfalfa and dust antigen were shown positive. A hyposensitizing therapy with these antigens was carried out and the result seems satisfactory so that no asthma attack has occurred since 23 weeks from the beginning of therapy. These findings indicate that this is a case of occupational and allergic bronchial asthma by four kinds of animal feed.

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There are two main difficulties to clarify the relationship between rheumatoid factor (RF) and complement. First, the antigen to RF, i.e. human aggregated IgG is too anti-complementary. Secondly, since complement is measured by using hemolysin sensitized sheep red cells (SRC), it is easily affected by the agglutinating activity of RF. In this report, in order to overcome these disadvantages improved materials and methods were used as follows. 1) Aggregated IgG after reduction and alkylation (pU-IgG (MM)) which shows no more anticomplementarity to guinea pig complement. 2) Hemolysis in gel which is not affected by agglutination. 3) Hemolysin is separated into 19S- and 7S-fraction by Sephadex G-200 Column Chromatography. 4) RF is specifically purified after the absorption by reduced-alkylated aggregated IgG. Employing these materials, following experiments were performed: 1) Complement Fixation Test (C.F.T.) between RF and pU-IgG (MM) 2)Immune Adherence (I.A.) Inhibition Test between RF and pU-IgG (MM) 3) Passive Hemagglutination Test (P.H.A.) of RF. 4) Passive Hemolysis Test (P.H.L.) of RF. 5) Hemolysis in gel with RF, sensitized SRC and complement. 6) Agglutination titer of RF to intermediate cells. Results 1. RF did not fix complement including both of human and guinea pig complement in reaction with reduced-alkylated aggregated IgG in C.F.T. or I.A. Inhibition Test. 2. Tanned SRC coated with pU-IgG (MM) showed no guinea pig complement mediated hemolysis with or without RF, while these SRC showed positive human complement mediated hemolysis even without RF. 3. Since hemolysis inhibition activity existed in rheumatoid sera was observed in P.H.L. as well as hemolysis in gel, it was recognized that this hemolytic inhibition was not merely caused by agglutination. This inhibitory activity was also detected with 19S hemolysin sensitized SRC. In addition, when RF was specifically purified, this activity disappeared. These results suggested that the hemolysis inhibition factor in rheumatoid sera might possess something apart from RF. 4. When agglutination titers of RF detected with intermediate cells were compared with the titers with non-complement bound SRC, there were no significant differences between the former and the latter. Therefore, it was suggested that the binding site of RF was different from that of complement.

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