SummaryThirty‐seven patients with a history of systemic anaphylactic stings were desensitized by the rush method. Patients were evaluated by skin testing twice, before and 6 weeks after desensitization. An additional control group of 10 patients, not yet desensitized, were tested for skin test technique reproducibility at 6‐week intervals. Results were compared with IgE and IgG antibody levels, and with platelet reactivity towards specific Hymenoptera venom. Before desensitization, the maximum skin‐test sensitivity was observed at 10−5μg venom/ml in 56 of patients and decreased to 10−1μg venom/ml after desensitization (48·6 of patients). Decrease of cutaneous tests was observed in 28/37 patients (75) (P<0·001) and was not associated with significant variations of specific IgE or IgG antibody levels, but was correlated with the decrease of platelet reactivity (P<0·05). Conversely, variations of skin‐test sensitivity in the control group was
展开▼
