Acupuncture has been clinically tried as one of the treatment of bronchial asthma.
SSP, silver spike point electrode, is characterized by the low frequent electric current, and has been used for the relief of pain.
We applied SSP for the treatment of the children's bronchial asthma and its effectiveness is checked by respiratory function test as well as acetylcholine inhalation test.
The mesults are as follows:
1) No change of %VC was observed after SSP treatment, but FEV₁₀% soon after and 20 minutes after SSP treatment was significantly improved.
2) In 7 of 10 patients, the threshold of acetylcholine was incresed after SSP treatment.
Our results suggest that airway obstruction and bronchial hypersensitivity were improved by SSP treatment.

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To evaluate the effect of preventive measures, 47 patients, all allergic to house-dust mites, were allocated to study. According to the patients' subjective recordings of symptom score and use of medicine, compared with the control group that had not used any matress made of polyester fibers, the study group had improved. There were improvements when comparing the attack and cough, disturbance of sleeping and use of medicine.
It was concluded that the preventive measures in this program were very effective for the patients allergic to house-dust mites.
Mite counts were performed on samples of dust taken from the bedding of 47 patients and randomly selected control patients.
The numbers of mites were markedly reduced in the studied group but not in the control group. Although the patients' homes were cleaned in the same manner, greater concentrations of house-dust mites were found in summer. It was concluded that high humidity improved the survival of house-dust mites in the home and could lead to an increased incidence and severity of house-dust mite allergy. It was necessary to clean more frequently in the bed room in addition to reduce high absolute humidity of indoor air.

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The regular use of DSCG and β-stimulant inhalation therapy for the 31 patients with severe, intractable bronchial asthma was investigated. The mixture of DSCG and β-stimulant inhalation solution was administerd once to three times a clay by use of electric neblizer. This trial was evaluated by the frequency and the severity of a bronchial asthma attack. The clinical improvement was expressed by the terms, “no change”, “fair”, “good” and “excellent”. During the first month of the treatment, this trial provided good to excellent clinical improvement in 67.7% of the patients, and excellent improvement in 38.7% of the patients. Moreover, the effectiveness of this trial was confirmed by the findings that, compared with the previous year, the frequency and the severity of bronchial asthma attacks were markedly to moderately reduced in 46.7% of the patients, and 76.2% of all the patients have gained good to excellent improvement. Thus, the regular inhalation of the mixture of DSCG and β-stimulant proved to be useful for the prophylaxis of the bronchial asthma attack, and also useful for blocking the on-going severity of bronchial asthma.

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Of 65 asthmatic children, we measured the respiratory function 3 times per day using a mini peak flow meter during a summer camp. And then, we investigated the exercise load of daily life in asthmatic children. We divided the group of 65 children into 4 classes by % PEFR changing pattern for 6 days.
I-a group; all time up from 100%
I-b group; all time up from 70%
II group; one time down from 70%
III group; more Chas two times down from 70%
At awaking, the mean % PEFR of I-a group was highest and I-b, II group were higher than III group, and at noon and going to bed, the mean % PEFR of I-a group was higher than the other 3 groups. For the investigation of the exercise load, we calculated % PEFR ratio before and after swimming and hiking On swimming, the % PEFR ratio of II, III group was higher than I-a, I-b group. On hiking, the % PEFR ratio of II group was lower, and III group was higher than I-a, I-b group. For analysis of the data, we added the data of % PEFR before lunch time. And investigated the % PEFR ratio of the first period and second period. Of I-a group, the difference of both ratios was not recognised, but of other 3 groups, the % PEFR ratio of the second period wan lower than first period.
This may have been due to the decline of exercise preliminary power.

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We report a death case of a 13 year old boy who had been under the control of a respirator for 6 months after suffering a severe asthmatic attack. This episode occurred three months after his discharge from National Minami-Fukuoka Chest Hospital where he had been hospitalized for more than three years for the residential treatment of asthma. The severity and frequency of the attack increased, although the serum IgE level remarkably decreased during his stay in hospital. It is suggested that hyperresponsiveness of the airway is an important factor in the occurrence of the asthma attack in this case. Diabetes insipidus (DI) occurred in the course of treatment, indicating a poor sigh of anoxic damage of the brain. The findings of flat waves in the EEG were seen at the same time that symptoms of DI appeared. In order to prevent such a death by acute asthma attack occurred in this case, it is necessary to show repeatedly the actual ways how and when they should contact with their physicians and hospitals.

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We reported two cases of infantile apnea caused by a cow's milk allergy.
The first case was a 40 day-old, bottle feeding, female infant. The pt. was taken to our hospital because of spasmodic cough and apnea. The pt. experienced an abrupt onset of paroxysmal coughing and apnea soon after bottle feeding. Specific IgE antibody to cow's milk was not detected in her serum, but a rectal swab specimen obtained through rectal challenge test with a cow's milk showed increased eosinophils.
The second case was a 30 day-old, mixed feeding, female infant. The pt. had been suffering from recurrent apnea after feeding. Specific IgE antibody to cow's milk was detected in her serum.
Both cases revealed postive results in the cow's milk elimination tests.
According to our experiences, possibility of food allergy as a cause of infantile apnea syndrome should be considered.

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By double-blind, placebo-controlled method we have investigated the effect of oxatomide on bronchial hyperresponsiveness in 9 asthmatic children, using methacholine inhalation challenge test. After premedication of 0.88mg/kg oxatomide or placebo, the challenge test was performed.
Respiratory thresholds were improved in 7 cases and PC₂₀ became significantly higher in the case of premedication of oxatomide.
Since oxatomide has no appreciable anticholinergic effect this observation is an indication that oxatomide decreases non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity. This improvement of bronchial hyperresponsiveness might be ascribed to its inhibitory action on synthesis and release as calcium antagonists and to the antagonistic activity of various chemical mediators, particularly leukotrienes and PAF; moreover, to its effect on β-receptors.

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High-dose beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler (BDI) therapy (800-1200μg/day) was carried out for 3 to 10 months to 13 patients (Aged 10 to 15 years) with severe childhood Asthma 1) Clinical improvement appeared after 1 month on high-dose BDI therapy and was seen in all patients after 3 to 10 months. (Marked improvement in 4 cases, moderate improvement in 4 cases and slight improvement in 5 cases). 2) Measurement of serum cortisol levels at 6:00AM and rapid ACTH test showed no significant difference between control group and high-dose BDI group, and between pre and post in high-dose BDI group. 3) Oral candidiasis was not seen in any patients.
It is concluded that high-dose BDI therapy (800-1200μg/day) may be effective on control of severe childhood asthma and has no adrenocortical supperesive effect.

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Interleukin 1 (IL1) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from asthmatic children and healthy individuals was studied. IL1 production was observed, when MNC were cultured in the medium supplemented with fetal calf serum, but not when cultured with human serum of AB blood type. IL1 production in this condition was more prominent in asthmatic children than in healthy controls. This suggested that asthmatic children had more T cells sensitized to the antigens contained in FCS than the controls. When MNC were stimulated with Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the medium with serum of AB blood type, IL1 production was induced in both the patients and the controls in the same degree. More IL1 was produced by MNC cultured with FCS in stimulaion with Df or LPS. These observations suggest that LPS and Df have shown the effect as nonspecific activators rather than as antigens.
Induction of IL1 production from MNC by stimulation with calf serum acting as an antigen and with mite preparation acting as an nonspecific activator or antigen suggested that in volvement of IL1 induced by such mechanism in the inflamatory reaction in allergy.

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We studied the schedule of oral aminophylline and sustained release theophylline dosing just after ceasing of constant aminophylline infusion. Thirty asthmatic children (twenty boys), ranging in age from 2 to 12 years, who were admitted to the hospital and received constant aminophylline infusion, enrolled in this study.
The result is that oral aminophylline dosing after constant infusion may lead the serum theophylline concentration to the toxic level when the initial level is high and after that serum theophylline concentration decreases rapidly. On the other hand, sustained release theophylline, administered just after or 2 hours after stopped constant aminophylline infusion, exhibited safety and suitable theophylline level. So it is recommended that, if possible, constant aminophylline infusion should be stopped after monitoring serum theophylline level within 2 hours before the time of fixed sustained release theophylline administration.

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An Astograph with the combined use of the P-V lissajou method which was newly deviced was useful for measuring respiratory threshold of methacholine in children from 3 to 15 years of age.
An yearly change of threshold of methacholine in asthmatics was minimal in spite of the clinical improvement, suggesting that the significance of the improved threshold is great even though it is small.
The threshold to methacholine in latent asthmatics was higher than that of asthmatics. There was, however, no difference of distribution of threshold between the group of older than 6 years and that of younger than 6 years of age. In latent asthmatics from the ages 3 to 13 years, 15.6per cent of the cases showed increased bronchial sensitivity during a 3 year observation period. It was also found that in latent asthmatics, bronchial hypersensitivity was independent from family history of atopy and from atopic markers such as serum total IgE, house dust RAST, eosinophiles of blood and of nasal secretions. Lastly, the same tendency as described above was observed in children suffering from a prolonged cough.

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The MAST Allergen System is a new assay for serum specific IgE, and allows up to 35 allergens to be tested simultaneously. We evaluated this system in 264 children with allergic diseases. Good correlation was obtained between MAST and RAST in 24 out of 35 allergens, with correlation coefficient more than 0.60. The positive rate of inhalant allergens by the MAST system were 88% Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, 82% Dermatophagoides farinae, 77% house dust, 39% cat epithelium, 34% dog epithelium and 26% Japanese ceder, The positive rate of food allergens were 35% soy bean, 24% egg white, 23% rice, 22% barley and 20% wheat. The positive rate for children, suffering from both allergic respiratory and skin diseases, was higher than that of those suffering from only one of the two. We found that the types of allergens varied with their age. Food allergens predominated in infancy and early childhood, and decreased with age. In contrast, specific IgE to inhalant allergens developed later in childhood and generally persisted. There was a sharp increase in the positive rate of house dust and mites, followed by a slow increase of animal epithelia and pollens. The incidence of mould allergens remained unchanged, and started to increase garadually as the patients reached a certain age. Among 35 allergens, an average of 7.5 different allergens were simultaneously detected in one serum sample. More than five allergens were detected in 57% of 264 cases. Based on these findings we must conclude that simultaneous determination of specific IgE using the MAST system is useful in diagnosing specific allergens in children suffering from a variety of allergies.

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Nine patients with atopic dermatitis were treated with sea water therapy for seven days on the pacific beach during summer. The sea water therapy mainly consisted of washing the skin with sea water, after which their bodies were also completely washed with soap and fresh warm water.
All patients showed remarkable improvements in skin manifestation and decreased itching. This therapy was especially effective in severe patients who had not previously responded to either elimination diet, medication with oral anti-allergy drugs, or steroid ointment before sea water therapy. Sea water therapy may be useful for some children with intractable atopic dermatitis.

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