TY - JOUR
T1 - An epidemiologic study of insect allergy in children. I. Characteristics of the disease
AU - Schuberth, Kenneth C.
AU - Lichtenstein, Lawrence M.
AU - Kagey-Sobotka, Anne
AU - Szklo, Moyses
AU - Kwiterovich, Kathleen A.
AU - Valentine, Martin D.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine at The Good Samaritan Hospital. Supported by Grant AI 15443, The National Institutes of Health. Publication No. 457 of the O'Neill Laboratories. *Reprint address: The Good Samaritan Hospital, 5601 Loch Raven Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21239.
PY - 1982/4
Y1 - 1982/4
N2 - Of 235 children with a history of allergic reactions to insect stings studied, 59 had severe life-threatening systemic reactions 123 had mild, non-life-threatening systemic reactions, and 53 had large local reactions. The overall male-female ratio was 2:1. Venom skin tests were positive in approximately 89% of each group. Prior whole body extract therapy increased the likelihood of venom skin test reactivity to multiple insect venoms from 51 to 78%. Venom skin test results did not correlate with the severity of previous allergic reactions. One hundred and nine children with NLTR and positive venom skin tests were entered into one of two groups-venom immunotherapy or observation only. During the first six months the treatment group had the expected fourfold rise in venom-specific IgE antibody titers, whereas the observation group had a decline of the mean IgE titer. Patients in the observation group who were accidentally stung had a transient rise in IgE antibody titers. The small number of accidental stings which occurred in both groups resulted in reactions milder than the original reactions. Although based on preliminary data, venom immunotherapy may not be necessary for some children with previously mild systemic symptoms.
AB - Of 235 children with a history of allergic reactions to insect stings studied, 59 had severe life-threatening systemic reactions 123 had mild, non-life-threatening systemic reactions, and 53 had large local reactions. The overall male-female ratio was 2:1. Venom skin tests were positive in approximately 89% of each group. Prior whole body extract therapy increased the likelihood of venom skin test reactivity to multiple insect venoms from 51 to 78%. Venom skin test results did not correlate with the severity of previous allergic reactions. One hundred and nine children with NLTR and positive venom skin tests were entered into one of two groups-venom immunotherapy or observation only. During the first six months the treatment group had the expected fourfold rise in venom-specific IgE antibody titers, whereas the observation group had a decline of the mean IgE titer. Patients in the observation group who were accidentally stung had a transient rise in IgE antibody titers. The small number of accidental stings which occurred in both groups resulted in reactions milder than the original reactions. Although based on preliminary data, venom immunotherapy may not be necessary for some children with previously mild systemic symptoms.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0022-3476(82)80750-6
DO - 10.1016/S0022-3476(82)80750-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 7062201
AN - SCOPUS:0020081343
SN - 0022-3476
VL - 100
SP - 546
EP - 551
JO - The Journal of pediatrics
JF - The Journal of pediatrics
IS - 4
ER -