role of some fungi in bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive lung diseases

This work was done on 100 patients [50 patients with bronchial asthma and 50 ones with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases [COPD] to study the role of some fungi in those patients by prick skin test, culture and indirect haemagglutination test for aspergillus. Prick skin test using fungal antigens showed 84% and 76% were positive in cases of bronchial asthma and COPD respectively. Skin test showed that the predominant fungi in bronchial asthma and COPD was Aspergillus niger, Asp. flavus and candida. Skin test using fungal antigens showed that skin sensitivity to Asp. niger was significantly higher in bronchial asthma than in COPD. The culture of sputa of 100 patients with bronchial asthma and COPD showed different fungal growth [80% showed positive fungal growth in bronchial asthma while in COPD 70% showed positive fungal growth]. The predominant fungi isolated by culture in cases of bronchial asthma and COPD were candida species followed by Aspergillus species. Indirect haemagglutination test for Aspergillus showed titre of 1/320 in 5 patients with bronchial asthma and in one patient with COPD [i.e.] in 6% of all cases. From this study it was found that simple prick skin test, if properly performed and with properly standardized fungal allergens, remains the best procedure for routine office clinical diagnosis

Incidence of yersinia enterocolitica in cases of infantile diarrhoea and arthritis by indirect haemagglutination test

The incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica infection was tried to be detected in cases of infantile diarrhoea and arthritis by the indirect haemagglutimation test. Out of 60 cases of diarrhea, only one [1.67%] was positive, with a titre of 1: 640- Three cases out of 60 cases of arthritis [5%], were positive with a titre of 1: 160. All the 20 control cases were found to be negative. It is concluded that Yersinia enterocolitica is very rare in Egypt, probady due to the rarity of breeding and consumption of pigs. Also may be due to the fact that hot weather is unsuitable for the full activity of Yersinia