title: Short-term decrease of skin-test sensitivity after rush desensitization in Hymenoptera venom hypersensitivity.
abstract: Thirty-seven patients with a history of systemic anaphylactic stings were desensitized by the rush method. Patients were evaluated by skin testing twice, before and 6 weeks after desensitization. An additional control group of 10 patients, not yet desensitized, were tested for skin test technique reproducibility at 6-week intervals. Results were compared with IgE and IgG antibody levels, and with platelet reactivity towards specific Hymenoptera venom. Before desensitization, the maximum skin-test sensitivity was observed at 10(-5) micrograms venom/ml in 56% of patients and decreased to 10(-1) micrograms venom/ml after desensitization (48.6% of patients). Decrease of cutaneous tests was observed in 28/37 patients (75%) (P less than 0.001) and was not associated with significant variations of specific IgE or IgG antibody levels, but was correlated with the decrease of platelet reactivity (P less than 0.05). Conversely, variations of skin-test sensitivity in the control group was not significant.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U167-CNRS 624, Institut Pasteur, Lille, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsicopoulos
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Tonnel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wallaert
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001180:Arthropod Venoms / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012882:Skin Tests; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001180:Arthropod Venoms; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E