Diagnosis and immunotherapy of mould allergy. IV. Relation between asthma symptoms, spore counts and diagnostic tests

Twenty-four adult asthmatics with autumnal asthma and positive bronchial provocation test to the mould species Cladosporium were evaluated by daily symptoms scores during 11 weeks in the peak mould spore season. A significant association with fluctuation in Cladosporium spore count was found regarding the relative weekly symptom score (mean of subjective asthma and peak flow scores), relative use of antiasthmatic medication and the combined (total) score (mean of symptom and medication scores). The median weekly symptom, medication, and total scores were positively correlated to Cladosporium spore count, but only significantly so in the medication score. Eighteen patients were allergic to both Cladosporium and Alternaria, but asthma symptoms were not associated to Alternaria spore counts; on the contrary, a negative correlation indicated that Alternaria only played a minor role in eliciting asthma. Neither mugwort nor house dust mites seemed to be of importance. The results of diagnostic tests (bronchial provocation test, quantitative skin prick test, RAST and histamine release) were correlated to the mean absolute symptom score of the spore season. The highest correlation to asthma score, peak flow score, medication score, and the combined score was found with the bronchial provocation test. The data indicate that autumnal asthma, to a high degree, is elicited by Cladosporium spores, and further, that the specific allergic diagnosis can only be established by a combination of positive diagnostic tests and careful recording of symptoms elicited by the causative allergen.