Clinical diagnostic assay with allergenic extract of Cynodon dactylon pollen in patients with asthma and/or rhinitis

Absence of this study in Camagüey city. Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of the prick test with allergenic extract of Cynodon dactylon pollen in patients with asthma and/or rhinitis. Method: a randomized, diagnostic clinical test, from January to September 2006, in one-hundred eight adults (54 diagnosed of asthma and/or rhinitis and 54 healthy volunteers, between 18 and 60 years of age), coming from the Allergy consultation of the Provincial University Hospital "Manuel Ascunce Domenech", to those were carried out, previous informed consent, a duplicate prick test, with allergenic extract of Cynodon dactylon pollen to a concentration of 14 600 UBE / ml (produced by Bial. ARISTEGUI laboratories). Results: the 62,9% of the sick people presented sensitization to the used extract, for a sensibility of the test of 62,9% and (IC 95% (IC 95% 69,5-78,6) 52,3-64,5) a specificity of 96,2%; (IC 95% 88,5-98,3) the positive predictive value was about 94,4% and (IC 95% 93,4-98,6) negative predictive of 72,2%. The average of the wheal diameter found was about 3,12 (IC 95% 2,97-3,15). Conclusions: more than 50% of the sick people presented cutaneous sensitization to the pollen of Cynodon dactylon, species of gramineous broadly distributed by the whole Island. The cutaneous test of prick with the used extract is considered effective in the diagnosis of allergies caused by this allergen.