Acth and cortisone in allergic manifestations

The Treatment of Asthma with Corticotrophin

“…With eosinophil blood counts, balances of chloride, sodium, sugar, potassium, and nitrogen, and study of 17ketosteroids they could find no such correlation, and it has been suggested from the findings that in asthma the beneficial effect may depend upon some special function of the hormone. The lack of any definite correlation between clinical response and the eosinophil count has been confirmed by Friedlaender and Friedlaender (1951a) and by Feinberg et al (1951).…”

Hypnotic Treatment of Asthma

“…The value of the eosinophil count as an index of response to treatment is poorly understood: Feinberg et al (1951) found that response to steroids did not correlate with drop in eosinophil count.…”

The Influence of Triamcinolone on the Allergic Skin Wheal Reaction

“…the tuberculin test, when this is carried out during ACTH or steroid treatment.Several authors state, however, that the immediate skin wheal reaction is not significantly altered by ACTH or corticosteroids in therapeutic doses (3,4, 8) and a corresponding view IS expressed without any reservation in a recent textbook of allergology (2).Applying intradermal allergy tests as a screening examination in a great number of asthmatic patients, we have a vague impression that giving steroids may, after all, lead to falsely negative reactions in some instances. During routine allergological examination of patients suffering from asthma, symptomatic treatment is often necessary in order to keep the patient fit for the procedure, and in some instances corticosteroids are unavoidable at the time of testing.…”

“…Several authors state, however, that the immediate skin wheal reaction is not significantly altered by ACTH or corticosteroids in therapeutic doses (3,4, 8) and a corresponding view IS expressed without any reservation in a recent textbook of allergology (2).…”

“…Thus the question arises if these drugs may interfere with the immediate skin wheal reaction and cause falsely negative results.Inconclusive findings are reported (7, 8) concerning the delayed type of allergic skin reactions, e.g. the tuberculin test, when this is carried out during ACTH or steroid treatment.Several authors state, however, that the immediate skin wheal reaction is not significantly altered by ACTH or corticosteroids in therapeutic doses (3,4, 8) and a corresponding view IS expressed without any reservation in a recent textbook of allergology (2).Applying intradermal allergy tests as a screening examination in a great number of asthmatic patients, we have a vague impression that giving steroids may, after all, lead to falsely negative reactions in some instances. Therefore this prospective study has been carried out in order to test the general validity of the statement mentioned above.…”