[Increased sensitivity to cockroaches of the species Blattella germanica in patients with allergic diseases]. / Izuchenie povyshennoi chuvstvitel'nosti k tarakanam Blattella germanica u bol'nykh s allergicheskimi zabolevaniiami.

Sensitization to Blattella germanica (B.g.) was studied in 290 allergic patients having increased sensitivity to house dust (HD). The study carried out by ELISA techniques with the use of allergen especially developed by the authors, revealed that the sera of adults and children with bronchial asthma (BA) contained high levels of IgE antibodies (Ab) to B.g. in 34 and 63.5% of cases, respectively. The presence of pronounced IgE-linked sensitization of target cells of BA patients was confirmed in leukocyte alteration test and in the natural leukocyte migration inhibition test. Increased sensitization to B.g. was shown to be the second in the total spectrum of sensitization to different arthropod species in house dust, and the presence of mixed sensitization to B.g. and HD mites was not due to cross reactions caused by main mite allergens. The content of IgG and IgG4 Ab to B.g. in BA patients exceeds that in healthy subjects, the tendency towards reverse correlation (r = -0.4) between the content of specific IgE and IgG Ab being revealed in the former. An essential role of sensitization to cockroaches in pathogenesis of BA is emphasized.