[Evaluation of venom specific IgE and total serum IgE among forest administration workers]

We used a questionnaire to investigate Hymenoptera hypersensitivity in 323 forest administration workers and measured total serum IgE and venom specific IgE antibodies against yellow jackets and paper wasps. The results were as follows. 1) Most of the workers, including 69 (21.8%) hypersensitive workers, had been exposed to stings by yellow jackets or wasps. 2) The titer of RAST (p less than 0.05) and RAST positive rate (p less than 0.01) were higher in the hypersensitive workers than in the non-hypersensitive ones. 3) There was a correlation between venom specific IgE titers to yellow jackets and paper wasps (rs = 0.818). 4) The titer of venom specific IgE increases with the frequency of sting exposure, and decreased gradually with the passage of time. 5) The higher the venom specific IgE titer, the higher the total serum IgE titer. 6) The titer of venom specific IgE, total serum IgE and atopy had no relation to the severity of clinical symptoms.