Masitinib, a c-kit and PDGF-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, may represent an innovative avenue of treatment in corticosteroid-dependent asthma. These preliminary results warrant further long-term clinical studies in severe asthma
ABSTRACfTo evaluate whether atopy is a risk factor for systemic reactions to hymenoptera stings, we compared the atopic status of two groups of subjects. Thefirst group included 93 patients (59 males), mean (± SD) age: 42.3 ± 17.2 yrs with a history of anaphylactic reactions to hymenoptera stings. The second was a control group of 712 subjects (379 males), mean (± SD) age: 42.0 ± 9.6 years recruited at a public health care center. The protocol included a standardized questionnaire about symptoms suggestive of atopy, i.e. medical diagnosis of asthma, perennial rhinitis or hay fever, and skin tests to common aeroallergens, i.e. house dust mites, cat danders, and grass pollens. The percentage of subjects with atopic symptoms was comparable in the two groups (32.2% for the patient group and 28.5 %for the control group). Similarly, 22.6% ofpatients and 36.8% of controls exhibited at least one positive skin prick test. Lastly, 15.1% of patients and 18.5% of controls (a nonsignificant difference) had at least one symptom of atopy and at least one positive skin test. These findings show that atopy is not a risk factor for systemic reactions to hymenoptera stings. (Allergy Proc 15:49-52, 1994) S ystemic reactions (SR) to hymenoptera stings (HS) are commonly present in up to 6.6%0 of the general population according to a recent report by our groupl using medical history and skin tests to venoms as criteria. Since these SR are IgE-mediated, atopy is widely considered as a possible risk factor. In previous attempts to establish a connection between atopy and
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