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Whereas the importance of pollen as inhalative allergens has been largely investigated and is generally known, the experience in the frequency and the role of the sensibilization with air-borne fungi is relatively limited. In 720 patients with Asthma bronchiale the degree of sensitization has been tested with various extracts of air-borne fungi of SSW Dresden (mould mixture, aspergillin, mucor, cladosporium and penicillium and alternaria). The most frequent and also the strongest reactions were found with alternaria and the smallest part of positive skin reactions with penicillium. An isolated sensitization with mould has been demonstrated in 20 per cent of the cases. In 60 per cent of the tested patients a manifest mould allergy was shown by means of the Inhalative Allergen Test, the most favourable correlation between Intracutaneous Test (ICT) and Inhalative Test (IAT) was found with alternaria (76%). A conformance between ICT and basophils degranulation test (BDT) was stated in 69% of the cases. The aim should be comparable tests with allergen extracts without irritative effects and qualitative measurements of air-borne fungi.

We investigated, if in routine work the relative simple monocyte test can improve the diagnostic yield of allergic asthma bronchiale in comparison with the inhalative allergen test. In 600 patients differential counts in peripheral blood were performed before, 30, and 60 minutes after inhalation of the allergen and the increase of monocytes was evaluated. Monocyte test and inhalative allergen test proved to be concordant in 67%, this value was statistically significant, but control trials failed in 11%. Therefore, the monocyte test fails to be of diagnostic value in allergic asthma, it does not increase additionally the diagnostic yield as a routine method.

The incidence of sensibilization against extracts of moulds produced by VEB SSW Dresden was investigated by intracutaneous tests in 354 persons (controls and patients - adults and children - with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis). Even in the nonallergic controls the tests were positive in 20-30%. Patients with asthma and rhinitis were significantly more often positive than controls with Mucor, Cladosporium and mixed-mould. There was no difference between the groups with Aspergillus and Penicillium. Testing with extract of mixed-mould is not effective. Positive results with the individual moulds were not excluded although the test with mixed-mould was negative. There was no essential difference in the incidence of sensibilization between adults and children with bronchial asthma using mould extracts of VEB SSW Dresden.

The investigations were carried out on 30 patients with different pulmological diseases before a bronchoscopy with Brevinarkon and one, four and seven days after the bronchoscopy. There were evaluated the absolute lymphocytes in the blood smear and the transformation rate in the phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte transformation test. On the first day after narcosis the results showed a decrease of lymphocytes and on the following days there was to be found a suppression in the lymphocyte function.

The diagnosis of bronchial asthma is difficult because dyspnea as the leading symptom is ambiguous. Often other diseases with dyspnea are called asthma. For long term treatment it is necessary to know the pathogenesis of asthma and the factors triggering attacks. This in many cases needs special investigations. In the present paper some proposals are given to make a preliminary diagnosis on the basis of history and simple clinical findings, giving the indication for consecutive investigations respectively referring the patient to a specialist.

In 50 patients suffering from a cytologically or histologically confirmed sarcoidosis the unspecific transformation rate by PHA in the lymphocyte-transformation-test (LTT) and the immunoglobulins IgA, IgG, IgM and IgD have been determined by the help of a simple radial immunodiffusion. The evaluation of the LTT took place morphologically. 600 cells were counted each set-up (3 different smears each PHA-set-up). For the purpose of a better morphological presentation of lymphoblasts in the LTT a smear of alkalineous hydrolysis was fixed and followed by a colouring according to PAPPENHEIM. There was a decreased PHA-transformation-rate in sarcoidosis as a symptom for a partial defect within the cellular immune area. The levels of immunoglobulins showed no deviations as against to standard values.