Sensibilidad ante 2 concentraciones de extractos alergénicos de ácaros / Sensibility considering 2 concentrations of mite allergenic extracts i: en

Introducción: Los extractos alergénicos Valergen® (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis y Dermatophagoides siboney), desarrollados en el Centro Nacional de Biopreparados para usarlos en pruebas cutáneas de pacientes con alergia, han demostrado altas sensibilidad y especificidad. Objetivo: Determinar la sensibilidad ante 2 concentraciones diferentes de extractos alergénicos de ácaros mediante pruebas cutáneas por punción. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal de 230 pacientes de 5 a 49 años de edad, atendidos en el Policlínico Docente Ernesto Guevara de la Serna de Niquero, provincia de Granma, durante el 2022. Las variables analizadas fueron respuestas positivas según la edad, tipo de extractos alergénicos, sensibilización según enfermedades alérgicas, así como reacción adversa local. Resultados: En ambas concentraciones, la de 20 000 UB/ml y la de 2000 UB/ml, predominaron el grupo etario de 5 a 13 años (47,0 %), las respuestas positivas (27,8 y 25,7 % para cada dilución) y el extracto alergénico Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (con 93,9 y 89,1 %, respectivamente). La rinitis fue la enfermedad alérgica con mayor sensibilización (29,1 % en la primera concentración y 28,3 % en la segunda). Los efectos adversos locales se presentaron solo en la de 20 000 UB/ml (3,9 %), con un diámetro promedio del habón de 15,9 mm (IC 95 %: 15,4 - 16,4 mm) para la reacción superior. Conclusiones: Los extractos alergénicos de ácaros con una concentración de 2000 UB/ml resultaron igualmente sensibles y seguros que la dilución establecida de 20 000 UB/ml, la cual es reconocida a escala nacional por su calidad como medio diagnóstico.

Introduction: The Valergen® allergenic extracts (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides siboney), developed in the National Center for Biopreparations to use them in cutaneous tests to the patients with allergy, have demonstrated a high sensibility and specificity. Objective: To determine the sensibility considering 2 different concentrations of mite allergenic extracts by means of needle cutaneous tests. Methods: An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study of 230 patients aged 5 to 49 was carried out. They were assisted in Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Teaching Polyclinic in Niquero, Granma province, during 2022. The analyzed variables were positive responses according to age, type of allergenic extracts, sensitization according to allergic diseases, as well as local adverse reaction. Results: In both concentrations, 20 000 UB/ml and 2000 UB/ml, there was a prevalence of the 5 to 13 age group (47.0%), the positive responses (27.8 and 25.7% for each dilution) and the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergenic extract (93.9 and 89.1%, respectively). Rhinitis was the allergic disease with more sensitization (29.1 in the first concentration and 28.3% in the second one). The local adverse events were just presented in that of 20 000 UB/ml (3.9%) with an average wheal diameter of 15.9 mm (IC 95%: 15.4 - 16.4 mm) for the higher reaction. Conclusions: Mite allergenic extracts with a concentration of 2000 UB/ml were equally sensitive and safe than the established dilution of 20 000 UB/ml, which is recognized on a national scale by its quality as diagnosis method.

Streptococcal infection in the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease and clinical effects of minocycline on the disease symptoms

Although the precise pathoetiology of Behcet's disease (BD) remains obscure, patients with BD have a high incidence of chronic infectious foci, indicating an enhanced susceptibility to chronic tonsillitis, and dental caries. Sometimes, clinical symptoms appear after treatment of these foci in BD patients. It is believed that BD might be related to an allergic reaction to a bacterial infection in view of the many clinical symptoms, especially the presence of aphthous and genital ulcerations. An attempt to obtain cutaneous responses to bacterial antigens has been carried out using various vaccines developed from bacteria isolated from the ulcerative lesions and oral cavities of BD patients. BD patients often show intense hypersensitivity to various strains of streptococci, not only by their cutaneous reactions but also by in vitro testing. In this report, we describe our previous studies on the correlation between streptococcal antigens and the pathogenesis of BD and also discuss the recent reports of other authors. The intense hypersensitivity to streptococcal antigens acquired after streptococcal infection is thought to play an important role in the appearance of symptoms in BD patients since the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was enhanced when stimulated with streptococcal antigen in a culture system. Minocycline, an antibiotic to which certain strains of streptococci are sensitive, reduced the frequency of clinical symptoms in BD patients as well as the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by BD-PBMC stimulated with streptococcal antigen.