[Particular aspects of rhinitis and rhino-conjunctivitis]. / Aspects particuliers des rhinites et rhino-conjonctivites.

The authors report their experience of 28 years of practice in the opthalmology service of the CHRU at Rennes. The describe certain particular aspects of rhinitis and rhino-conjuctivitis where the danger resides in an extensive risk to the uvula or the bronchi. They insist on the importance of understanding polyvalents in internal medicine (rôle of the seat of gingivodentary "ideas", value of research into indicative markers of protection A2 and B40 in the HLA system. In the region of nutrition, they emphasize the importance of the rôle of zinc, of vitamin C and of magnesium. They base their hopes on study of the local markers of sensitivity, in order to assess the elements of preventative action for an eventual ocular and bronchial extension.

[Rhinoconjunctivitis: importance of a local diagnosis?]. / Rhinoconjonctivites: intérêt d'un diagnostic local?

Diagnosis of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, particularly in chronic forms, remains sometimes difficult. Systemic tests such as skin or blood tests may be not sufficient to assess local sensitization. Local tests are needed, performed from nasal secretion or tears. Measurement of total IgE in the local secretions of 41 patients suffering from rhinoconjunctivitis show that diagnosis contribution was upgraded from 61 to 88%. Very interestingly, in some cases, local tests were the only argument for allergy.

[Zinc and seasonal conjunctivitis]. / Zinc et conjonctivites saisonnières.

After a review of the properties of zinc, the authors report their experience in the use of this oligo-element in seasonal conjunctivitis. The study covers 79 subjects (35 women, 44 men, mean age 23 years +/- 7-79) and had the aim of clarifying the improvement obtained by the addition of zinc sulphate in a basal formulation that included AH1 antihistamines, taken only on demand. All the subjects were bi-sensitised and had commenced a desensitisation to pollens which had been poorly tolerated or badly maintained. The results were very good, even excellent, in 78% of the cases.

[Importance of studying deficiencies of IgG subclasses (IgG2 and IgG4) in immuno-allergologic practice]. / Intérêt de la recherche d'un déficit en sous-classes d'IgG (IgG2 et IgG4) en pratique immuno-allergologique.

Levels of the sub-classes of immunoglobulins IgG2 and IgG4 have been established by radial diffusion with monoclonal antibodies in 150 subjects. 49 (42 adults and 7 children) showed either a low level of IgG2 (less than 0.42 g/l n = 11) or a reduced level of IgG4 (less than 0.05 g/l n = 38). A single patient had a double deficit, 38 subjects had a superinfection of which 17 had a severe form and in 77% of these cases a level of IgG4 of less than 0.05 g/l.

[The allergic conjunctivitis (author's transl)]. / Les conjonctivites allergiques. Etude de 51 cas.

The authors report the study of 51 cases of conjunctivitis which the allergic character has been showed. They emphasize: 1. the special frequency with the young person (between 20 and 30 years for allergic conjunctivitis, generally before 7 years for vernal conjunctivitis); 2. the importance of atopic ground; 3. the weak incidence of business; 4. the difficulty of diagnosis, because the monosensibilisations are uncommon; 5. the favourable result of treatment.

[Tissue groups and ophthalmology]. / Groupes tissulaires et ophtalmologie

By typing of 90 patients with ocular pathology (uveitis, diseases of optic nerve, Eale's disease, pseudo-tumor cerebri) the authors have found a constant and significant increase in the frequency of H.L.A. A2 especially in uveitis by streptococcus. However, a frequency of H.L.A. B27 as elevated as in previous publications was not found--but the parallelism: H.L.A. B27--ankylosing spondylitis was always found. Finally, the authors emphasized the haplotype H.L.A. A2 H.L.A. B5 in two cases of pseudo-tumor cerebri.