[Retrospect and perspective in rhinologic allergology]

The first classical description of allergic rhinitis was given by John Bostock in 1819, and Blackley demonstrated the etiology in 1873. In 1906 Clemens von Pirquet discussed a relationship between hypersensitivity and immunity: he called it allergy. In 1922 Prausnitz and Kustner described the transfer of the immediate type hypersensitivity by serum. Coca and Cooke called the factor atopic reagin. The breakthrough in 1967 was due to Ishizaka and Ishizaka who discovered the IgE-antibodies, and proved that these are identical with the postulated reaginic antibodies. The knowledge of the new IgE-antibody class allowed the incorporation of nasal allergy in clinical immunology.