Quantitative studies in skin testing: V. The whealing reactions of histamine and ragweed pollen extract

doi:10.1016/0021-8707(52)90008-7

Journal of Allergy

Volume 23, Issue 5, September 1952, Pages 441-451

Journal of Allergy

https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-8707(52)90008-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

1.
1. Variations in the site response to constant doses of intradermally injected histamine were observed. These differences closely paralleled those seen previously in the site response of ragweed-sensitive subjects to intradermally injected ragweed pollen extract.
2.
2. It is concluded that the antigen-antibody portion of the wheal mechanism is not implicated in the site differences, but rather it must be inherent in the differences of the skin itself.
3.
3. Within the range studied, the dose response of histamine approaches linearity on both logarithmic and semi-logarithmic plots.
4.
4. The variation seen in the histamine dose-response data is sufficient to account for the variation encountered in the ragweed dose-response data.
5.
5. Within the limits of the techniques employed, there is no evidence that there are other active substances besides histamine mediating the cutaneous whealing reaction induced by a specific antigen.

References (13)

K. Bowman
Pertinent Factors Influencing Comparative Skin Tests on the Arm
J. Allergy
(1935)
E.L. Becker et al.
Quantitative Studies in Skin Testing. II. The Form of the Dose-Response Curve Utilizing a Quantitative Response
J. Allergy
(1948)
R.R. Wiseman
Comparative Skin Testing in the Anticubital and Popliteal Spaces
J. Allergy
(1951)
T. Lewis
The Blood Vessels of the Human Skin and Their Responses
(1927)
Gerhard Katz
Histamine Release in the Allergic Skin Reaction
Ake Nilzen
Studies in Histamine
Acta Dermato-Venereologica
(1947)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (19)

Precision of skin prick and puncture tests with nine methods
1991, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
New devices for puncture tests have been proposed recently, but their precision by comparison to the prick test method is poorly known. Seven puncture tests (Allerprick, Morrow Brown standardized needle, Phazer, Pricker, Stallerpointe, Stallerkit, and Wyeth bifucated needle) were compared with the modified prick test performed with hypodermic or intradermal needles in eight carefully selected normal volunteers. Skin tests with histamine hydrochloride (10 mg/ml) were only performed when there was no factor that might interfere with their interpretation. The site of skin tests on the forearm was demonstrated not to significantly influence the reaction size. The coefficient of variation of the tests ranged from 8.4% to 21.7%. Modified skin prick tests are satisfactory since they are highly reproducible (coefficient of variation: 13.4% and 16.5%) and there is no subject effect. Phazet was found to be more reproducible without subject effect. Pricker is satisfactory since it has no subject effect and a reproducibility similar to that of modified prick tests. Other tests are less reproducible (Stallerkit or Morrow Brown) or vary between subjects (Allerkit, Stallerkit, Stallerpointe, and Wyeth Needle).
Skin test reactivity in patients suffering from lung and breast cancer
1991, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Mast cells and histamine-mediated reactions may be altered in patients with cancer. In an attempt to characterize the possible skin defects in patients with cancer, we tested 22 patients suffering from lung cancers, 30 from breast cancers, and 30 age-matched normal individuals, using several compounds, in investigating the pathophysiology of the skin response. Histamine hydrochloride (10 and 100 mg/ml) and codeine phosphate (9%) were tested by prick test. Substance P (50 and 500 ng per injection site), phentolamine (20 μg per injection site), and carbachol (1 μg per injection site) were tested by intradermal skin tests. Skin mast cells were also microscopically examined in 10 patients with lung cancer, five with breast cancer, and 10 normal subjects. The mean wheal sizes induced by all the tested substances were similar in patients with cancer and chronic bronchitis and in normal individuals. The flare to histamine, codeine phosphate, and substance P was completely abolished in $722$ patients with lung cancer, but the lack of flare was not related to the age of the patients, nor to the staging of cancer, nor to metastasis. The mean numbers of alcian blue-stained or toluidine blue-stained positive mast cells were similar in normal subjects and in subjects with cancer. This study does not confirm the skin hyporeactivity of patients with cancer.
Assay of the biologic activity of allergen skin test preparations
1984, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
We studied the biologic activity of allergen preparations using a method involving skin prick tests in humans and the use of HEP (histamine equivalent prick) units. Results were found to be dependent on the population groups used in assays. If populations are not carefully standardized, results may vary by 1 power of 10. Accuracy can also be improved by the use of suitable allergen standard reference preparations, but such were not available to us. Confidence ranges for the biologic activities were relatively wide and varied with the allergen preparation and the population group. Typically, the 95% confidence range included values from one-fifth to five times the estimated HEP value when the number of subjects in the assay was 30 to 50 persons. When the preparations representing the same source material (e.g., timothy pollen) were assayed simultaneously in one population group of this size, a twofold or larger difference in HEP values generally proved significant. An examination of 43 commercial products showed that allergen preparations with biologic activities declared in HEP units had a more uniform biologic activity than those assayed with traditional methods and units (PNU/ml or weight/volume).
Titration of allergenicity using a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis inhibition test
1983, Journal of Immunological Methods
Studies on Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens: Measurement of the relative potencies of D. pteronyssinus purified extracts by in vitro and in vivo methods
1980, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
To standardize the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts used in clinical allergy practice, the relative potencies of several purified extracts were estimated by radioallergosorbent test (RAST) inhibition, histamine release, and intracutaneous titration testing, and the results were compared. The potencies of nine independently prepared D. pteronyssinus extracts were assayed with respect to an extract adopted as a reference. In vivo the cutaneous wheal surface after intradermal injections was measured on a population of D. pteronyssinus-sensitive subjects. In vitro RAST inhibition was performed with the reference extract as allergosorbent and with a pool of human IgE-rich sera from patients sensitized to D. pteronyssinus but untreated. For histamine release human basophils from patients allergic to D. pteronyssinus were used. In the three methods dose-response curves were plotted for the reference extract and the other extracts. A comparison of the measurement of in vitro and in vivo potencies is reported. Similar results were obtained with the three methods: all the extracts but one were as potent as the reference preparation. However, for routine purposes RAST inhibition appears to be the most convenient and reliable procedure.
Diagnosis of immediate type respiratory allergy
1975, Pediatric Clinics of North America

View all citing articles on Scopus

^☆: This study was made possible by the financial assistance of Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit.

¹: Present address: Army Medical Service Graduate School, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington 12, D. C.

View full text

Original articleQuantitative studies in skin testing: V. The whealing reactions of histamine and ragweed pollen extract☆

Abstract

J. Allergy

J. Allergy

J. Allergy

The Blood Vessels of the Human Skin and Their Responses

Histamine Release in the Allergic Skin Reaction

Studies in Histamine

Acta Dermato-Venereologica

Original article
Quantitative studies in skin testing: V. The whealing reactions of histamine and ragweed pollen extract☆