title: Airway provocation test with ragweed pollen extract in Chinese asthmatics.
abstract: As ragweed becomes widespread over China, ragweed pollenosis tends to be more frequent. Incidence of ragweed pollenosis is about 1.04% in Qingdao district. To elucidate ragweed as an allergen in the development of bronchial asthma, ragweed pollen extract inhalation airway provocation tests (APT) were studied in 55 patients with ragweed pollenosis. A single dosage of 9,000 PNU ragweed pollen extract was applied and positive response was defined as more than 35% fall in SGrs at the dose of PT35-Grs. Among 55 patients, positive APTs were found in 27 cases (49%), dual late-phase responses in 11 patients, single late-phase responses in 2 patients in the complicated asthma group. Late-phase responses were related to the increased specific IgE and strong positive skin test response (wheal > 11 mm). The results suggested ragweed pollen was one of the important allergens causing bronchial asthma. There was airway hyperresponsiveness to ragweed pollen in some patients (20%) with ragweed pollenosis without asthmatic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology, Qingdao Hospital of Combining Chinese Traditional Medicine and Western Medicine, Shangdang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhau
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E