Allergological studies on bronchial asthma due to insects. -- The demonstration of the high frequencies of moth, butterfly, caddis fly, and chironomid allergies and their airborne particles smaller than 10 m in diameter.

在认识到天蛾、蝴蝶、叶蝉和摇蚊是我们环境中主要发现的昆虫后，用家蚕翅提取液检测蛾和/或蝴蝶过敏、叶蝉翼提取液检测叶蝉过敏、摇蚊全身提取液检测摇蚊过敏，研究了哮喘患者对这些昆虫的敏感性。在随机选择的56例哮喘患者中，至少50%的患者对这些昆虫提取物有皮肤内反应阳性，至少80%的皮肤反应阳性患者具有特异性IgE抗体。对采集到的离地面18.6m的粉尘中的这些与昆虫相关的空气变应原进行免疫化学分析，发现空气中存在直径小于10m的昆虫相关颗粒，一年有两个高峰，一个在春季(蚕翅，相当于每立方米空气中粗提物的3.18 ng蛋白质；秋季有一种昆虫(家蚕8.24 ng/m^3；毛虫4.74 ng/m^3；摇蚊全身18.19 ng/m^3)。虽然我们不知道这些峰值是否足以引起哮喘症状，但这些昆虫的特异性IgE抗体的季节变化似乎与用这种方法测定的大气昆虫变应原的季节变化相似。

After recognizing tnat moth, butterfly, caddis fly, and chironomid were the insects predominantly found in our environment, reaginic sensitivities to these insects in patients with asthma were investigated with extracts of silkworm wing for the detection of moth and/or butterfly allergy, caddis fly wing for caddis fly allergy, and chironomid whole body for chironomid allergy. At least 50% of 56 randomly selected patients with asthma had positive intracutaneous reactions to these insect extracts, and at least 80% of the skin reaction positive patients had specific IgE antibodies.An immunochemical assay of these insect-related aeroallergens in the dust collected 18.6m above ground revealed the presence in the air of insect-related particles smaller than 10 m in diameter with two peaks a year, one in the spring(silkworm wing, 3.18ng protein equivalent to that of the crude extract per cubic meter of air; caddis fly wing, 3.08ng/m^3, and chironomid whole body, 5.21ng/m^3) and one in the autumn(silkworm wing, 8.24ng/m^3; caddis fly wing, 4.74ng/m^3; and chironomid whole body, 18.19ng/m^3).Although we have no idea whether or not such peak values are enough to cause asthmatic symptoms, seasonal fluctuations of specific IgE antibodies to these insects appeared to be similar to those of atmospheric insect allergens measured by this method.These findings suggest that insects are widespread and common inhalant allergens.