Studies on the allergenic fungal spores of the Delhi, India, metropolitan area: Clinical aspects

Abstract

A comprehensive investigation was done to evaluate the allergenic fungi in India. Results of 11,773 skin tests on 1,079 patients with nasobronchial allergy and 1,165 skin tests on 55 healthy persons with 29 antigens of fungi common in Delhi, India, are presented and compared. There were 5.9 per cent markedly positive (2+ to 4+) skin reactions in patients but none in healthy control subjects, who showed only 5.1 per cent 1+ reactions as compared with 8.9 per cent in patients. If 1+ reactions are included, there were 14.7 per cent positive skin reactions in the allergic patients. Bronchial tests were positive in about 66 per cent and conjunctival tests were positive in 38 per cent of the patients who had given positive skin reactions to the same antigens. The bronchial and conjunctival tests were negative in negative skin reactors, and conjunctival tests were also negative in 1+ skin reactors. About 29 fungi found in our environment are arranged in order of allergenicity based on the frequency of markedly positive skin reactions (2+ to 4+) produced by them.