INCIDENCE OF IMMEDIATE SENSITIVITY TO ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS IN A NORTH-AMERICAN ASTHMATIC POPULATION

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis might be less frequent in North America because the incidence of immediate sensitivity by asthmatics to A. fumigatus is less. Asthmatics (200) were skin tested with 2 extracts of A. fumigatus which produced positive reactions in 50 patients with allergic aspergillosis. Of the asthmatics, 21.5% reacted to the commercial extract by prick testing and 39% by intradermal testing. Using a different extract, 19.5% reacted to a concentration of 1 mg/ml and 31.5% to 10 mg/ml. By the prick method, 21.5% reacted to both extracts. Specific Ig[immunoglobulin]E was measured with 1 extract and a good correlation (r [correlation coefficient] = 0.48) was found with the size of the prick reaction. Increase in specific IgE was reflected in the increase of total IgE (r = 0.84). The incidence of immediate sensitivity to A. fumigatus in asthmatic patients in North America is at least equal to that found in the UK.