Leucocyte migration inhibition test results during desensitization treatment of children with atopic asthma

A study was carried out in 16 children with perennial allergic asthma to evaluate the use of the leucocyte migration inhibition factor, one of the indicators of cellular change effected by specific antigens, as a measure of the efficacy of desensitization therapy with a tyrosine-adsorbed house dust mite vaccine. Eleven of the children showed a good response and 5 a poor response to desensitization. The results of the migration inhibition test suggest that during specific desensitization therapy asthmatic children acquire the ability to inhibit leucocyte migration by a specific allergen and this phenomenon appears to be related to an improved response to treatment.