The author tried desensitization therapy by using house dust on 145 out of 942 bronchial asthmatic out-patients who visited the hospital during the 5 years from 1965 to 70.
The threshold changes in getting positive reactions by the intracutaneous test were studied during the therapentic courses and the following results were obtained:
1. In these 145 cases, the ratio of males to females was 1.95: 1.
2. Eighty-two percent of the children had suffered onset by the time they were five years of age and ninety-five percent by the time they were ten years of age, which means that in most cases of pediatric bronchial asthma, the onset takes place before the tenth year.
3. This desensitization therapy was effective in 71.3% of the cases; it was remarkably effective in 17.8%, fairly effective in 44.2% and only slightly effective in 9.3%. In other words, house dust desensitization therapy is effective in 70% of the asthma patients of this series who showed a positive reaction to house dust.
4. Except in two out of twelve cases, the threshold of allergen concentration showing a positive reaction, as indicated by the cases responding to desensitization the rapy, shifted to a lower dilution rate.
5. Of the 69 non-responsive cas es, only 4 showed a decreased sensitivity to the skirt test, the remainder indicating an increased sensitivity.
In such cases it was found that the desensitization therapy was not only inffective but that it even reinforced the original sensitization due to the injection of a llergen.
Therefore, the house dust extract solution for injection should be at concentrations sufficiently low to avoid further sensitization.
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