Wheat threshing dust--a "new allergen" in April-May nasobronchial allergy.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the allergen(s) responsible for mid April-mid May nasobronchial allergy seen in North India. DESIGN: Case control study. SETTING: Children living in and around Chandigarh (urban, rural). SUBJECTS: 39 children suffering from wheat harvest period (mid April-mid May) respiratory allergy along with randomly selected controls. METHODS: Aerobiological surveys were done from March to June for identification of prevailing allergens for performing allergy tests. Patients were subjected to skin tests (ST), nasal provocation tests (NPT) and bronchial provocation tests (BPT) with extracts prepared from identified pollens and fungal spores. Specific IgE (SIgE) was assayed by ELISA and comparison between pre-season, season and post-season values made. RESULTS: 81% patients had ST positive to antigen of wheat threshing dust (WTD), 30% to fungal antigens, 14% to wheat dust antigens and none to the wheat plant (WP) antigens. Nasal provocation test and bronchial provocation tests were also positive to WTD in 80% and 66% patients, respectively. WTD SIgE was demonstrated in 77% of ST positive patients. CONCLUSIONS: These in vivo and in vitro tests confirm wheat threshing dust as a major causative inhalant allergen for the April-May nasobronchial allergy; in addition, fungal allergens also play a role in 1/3rd of these patients.

Biliary and serum immunoglobulin alterations in patients of cholelithiasis.

IgG, IgA and IgM were estimated in serum, common bile duct bile and gall bladder bile by single radial immunodiffusion technique in 30 patients of cholelithiasis, which included 22 patients of cholelithiasis with non functioning gall bladder (sub group A) and 8 patients of cholelithiasis with functioning gall bladder (sub group B). 30 age and sex matched controls were also included in the study. Serum IgG, IgA and IgM were significantly raised in patients of cholelithiasis as compared to controls. However, in gall bladder bile although IgA and IgM were significantly lower (more so in sub group A) than that of control group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively but there was no change in IgG. While in common bile duct bile, rise in all the three immunoglobulins was statistically insignificant when compared to controls.