Appraisal of Histamine Concentration on Skin Reactivity in Infancy

Chung, Young Hun; Lee, Hoon Young

Abstract

PURPOSE
It is well known that the histamine test is essential for positive control in the evaluation of allergy skin test. Estimation of the allergen wheal size without histamine control may be affected by child growth and observer's subjective factos. The skin test reactivity to histamine in infancy is weak and difficult to be used as be positived control. This study is to define the status of skin test reactivity to histamine, and any difference of reactivity between various concentrations of histamine in infancy.
METHODS
The 241 babies including normal infants and prematurity in pediatric department of Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2001 to May 2001 were selected and divided into 5 groups by age. Three different Concentrations of histamine of 1, 5, and 10 mg/mL were injected on left forearm by prick procedure respectively. The differences of wheal size by age groups and concentrations of histamine were analyzed.
RESULTS
No reaction was predominant in prematurity, weak reaction in birth to 6 months of age, and strong reaction in above 6 months of age. In the skin test reactivity by histamine concentrations, there was no difference of no reaction histamine concentrion of 1 and 5 mg.mL. But rate of no reaction to histamin was significantly lower in the concentration of 10 mg/mL. There was no difference for the rate of week reaction to histamine by histamine concentration. There were significant differences between concentrations of histamine, especially more in 10 mg/mL concentration for strong reaction.
CONCLUSION
The skin test reactivity to standard histamine were weak in entire period of infancy, especially in under 6 months of age including prematurity. However, the reactivity to 10 mg/mL conc. of histamine were increased in all infants and different definitely in degree. It was suggested that 10 mg/mL of histamine concentration was more useful for positive control than standard histamine in infancy.