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Biomedical subjects

M Ganier

Publications and source records attributed to M Ganier.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Humidifier lung. An outbreak in office workers.

Symptoms consistent with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) occurred in 26 of 50 employees working in a localized area of a large factory. This area was served by a single heating-cooling unit utilizing a water humidification system. The illness consisted of flu-like symptoms with fever, chills, headache, cough, dyspnea. Most of the subjects affected demonstrated precipitating antibodies to a variety of organisms associated with HP, and inhalation challenge with water from the humidification system resulted in the reproduction of symptoms in one employee with a history suggestive of HP. Removal of the humidification system has resulted in a "cure" in that symptoms have not recurred during a one year followup period since the removal.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗

IgE mediated hypersensitivity to pancreatic extract (PE) in parents of cystic fibrosis (CF) children.

On exposure to pancreatic extract (PE), four parents of cystic fibrosis (CF) children developed immediate hypersensitivity-like symptoms: i.e. rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, and/or anaphylaxis. IgE to PE was demonstrated in the subjects by skin testing, leucocyte histamine release and radioallergosorbent test (RAST). No serum precipitating antibodies were found. Bronchial challenge caused an immediate asthmatic response. No delayed asthmatic response or hypersensitivity pneumonitis-like reaction occurred. The responsible antigen for PE induced asthma is unknown; trypsin failed to inhibit PE-RAST and is therefore not responsible in these subjects. Caution should be exercised in using PE for skin testing and bronchial challenge in subjects with suspected hypersensitivity to PE. Certain measures were found useful in preventing the occurrence of symptoms in the four subjects.

Adult↗

Localized heat urticaria.

The pathophysiology of localized heat urticaria was studied by performing a heat challenge on a patient with this disease. Serum levels of total hemolytic complement, C3, and factor B decreased following heat challenge, whereas levels of C4 and C5 did not. Plasma histamine levels remained unchanged. Electron microscopic studies of affected tissue revealed endothelial cell damage and neutrophilic degranulation in the affected area. Mast cells remained intact. These data imply that activation of the alternative complement pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of localized heat urticaria and that mast cell histamine release does not play a significant role in this disease.

Adult↗

Infantile agammaglobulinemia and immediate hypersensitivity to penicillin G.

A case of X-linked infantile agammaglobulinemia with preserved synthesis of IgE and resultant normal serum levels of IgE is described. The patient had manifestations of atopy and an anaphylactic reaction following the administration of penicillin G. Because he had multiple respiratory tract infections with Gram-positive organisms and did not respond adequately to prophylactic gamma-globulin administration, penicillin therapy was deemed desirable. Therefore, after successful desensitization, therapy with prophylactic ampicillin was started with a resultant decrease in both number and severity of infections.

Adolescent↗