[A shock reaction from insect bites in patients with urticaria pigmentosa]. / Shokovaia reaktsiia pri uzhalenii nasekomym u bol'nykh pigmentnoi krapivnitsei.

The examination of 11 urticaria pigmentosa (UP) patients included allergological history, skin prick, scarification tests and intracutaneous tests with noninfectious and bee poison allergens, total and specific serum IgE measurements, in vitro reaction of histamine release from peripheral blood basophils induced by bee poison. The response of mastocytosis patients to insect sting was characterized by a rapid (within 5 min) development of severe systemic reactions or shock. The skin reactions and serum antibodies to bee poison were not registered in 9 of 11 patients. They also had a negative reaction of allergen-specific histamine release from basophils. This gives evidence for nonimmunological, pseudoallergic mechanism of the shock reaction. The latter can be prevented by bee poison immunotherapy. IgE-antibody-mediated allergic reaction to bee sting could not be excluded in 2 patients. For them specific immunotherapy with bee poison, possibly with purified poison preparations containing the allergens alone, are indicated.

[A new Soviet allergen made from bee venom for the specific diagnosis of allergic reactions to bee stings]. / Novyi otechestvennyi allergen iz iada pchel dlia spetsificheskoi diagnostiki allergicheskikh reaktsii na uzhaleniia pchelami.

Overall 46 patients with allergic reactions to bee stings were examined. As a result of making skin prick, scarification and intracutaneous tests with an allergen from bee venom, allergy to bee stings was revealed in all the 46 patients, whereas only 37 patients responded to an allergen from the bee body. Specific IgE-antibodies using RAST were detected in 29 out of 31 patients. All the 29 patients had positive skin tests with an allergen from bee venom and only 22 with an allergen from the bee body. Specific histamine release was detected in all 13 patients examined by means of the indicated test. 100% coincidence was recorded with the results of intracutaneous tests with an allergen from bee venom. Only 11 out of the 13 patients had positive intracutaneous tests with an allergen from the bee body. Thus, the new Soviet allergen obtained from bee venom is effective in the diagnosis of allergy in response to bee stings.