title: Natural history of allergy to Hymenoptera.
abstract: One hundred and nineteen patients who had a generalized reaction to a bee sting and who subsequently had a history of being re-stung before desensitization were studied. The reaction, in these 119 patients was as follows: 44.5% had an improved grade of reaction, 42.9% had the same grade of reaction and 12.6% had a worse grade of reaction. Of these 119 patients, 39.5% had only a local reaction to their re-sting. Those patients who were re-stung within 2 weeks (anergic period) or over 5 years after a generalized reaction to a sting had significantly improved response. Results of pretreatment RAST to venoms of hornet, yellow jacket, wasp, honey bee and to phospholipase A appeared to correlate with the clinical signs and symptoms of the previous sting in 75% of cases.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006927:Hymenoptera; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D013997:Time Factors