Reduced capillary resistance in allergic patients.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Allergy Research
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Reduced capillary resistance (CR) is a potential indicator in allergic conditions.
• Understanding CR's role in allergy diagnosis is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of reduced CR in allergic children.
• To explore the utility of CR as a diagnostic tool for allergy.
• To assess the impact of corticosteroids on CR.

Main Methods:

• Assessed capillary resistance (CR) in 67 allergic children.
• Measured CR in relatives of allergic children.
• Administered prednisone to a subset of children with normal CR.

Main Results:

• 81% of allergic children exhibited reduced CR (<16 cm Hg).
• Prednisone temporarily improved CR in one patient, affecting hemorrhagic parameters.
• Reduced CR was more prevalent in symptomatic (90%) versus asymptomatic (44%) relatives.
• No correlation was found between CR and IgE levels.

Conclusions:

• Reduced CR is a significant finding in allergic children.
• CR may serve as a simple diagnostic aid for allergy.
• CR could potentially indicate an allergy carrier state in relatives.