As compared to the clinical history and to the other parameters tested here, flow cytometry showed a high sensitivity and a high specificity. The excellent correlation observed between this method and the other cellular tests such as histamine and leukotriene release are in favour of the specificity of flow cytomery and in favour of the use of this method for venom allergy diagnosis.

Flow cytometry, as a popular method often used in the immunology and haematology departments of clinical laboratories may represent a new alternative for allergy diagnosis and basophil pharmacology.

A competitive indirect ELISA is described for the measurement of IgG4 levels. It uses a monoclonal anti-subclass and antibody and purified monoclonal IgG4 as standards. This method is sensitive and reproducible and more accurate than hemagglutination inhibition and radial immunodiffusion. Serum IgG4 levels in 173 normal adults were less than 0.01-2.1 mg/ml (mean 0.30 mg/ml) in women and less than 0.01-1.87 mg/ml (mean 0.465 mg/ml) in men.

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In a randomised, multicentre study, the effect of azelastine eye drops (n = 51 patients) was compared in a double-blind manner with placebo eye drops (n = 30 patients) and in an open manner with levocabastine eye drops (n = 32 patients) during a 14-day treatment period involving 113 children (aged 4 to 12 years) suffering from seasonal allergic conjunctivitis/rhinoconjunctivitis. The primary variable was the response rate defined as the number of patients showing an improvement after three days of treatment of at least three score points, from a minimum baseline score of six, in the main ocular symptoms of itching, conjunctival redness and lacrimation (each assessed on a four-point scale). Patients discontinuing due to inefficacy were regarded as non-responders. The mean response rate in the azelastine eye drops group (74%) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that in the placebo group (39%) and comparable with that in the levocabastine group. The response rates assessed by the patients in their diaries were very similar. Significant differences (p < 0.01) for azelastine compared with placebo were observed on days 3 and 14 in the mean sum scores for the three main symptoms and for a total of eight eye symptoms. The overall assessment of efficacy confirmed the superiority of both active treatments compared with placebo. Adverse drug reactions were reported in 23% of placebo-, 35% of azelastine- and 38% of levocabastine-treated patients. These were mainly local irritant effects. Overall tolerability was assessed as very good or good in 80%, 84% and 91% of placebo-, azelastine- and levocabastine-treated patients, respectively. Azelastine eye drops are effective and well-tolerated in children with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.

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