Becerril-Ángeles Martín, Núñez-Velázquez Marco, Marín-Martínez Javier
Servicio de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades "Dr. Antonio Fraga Mouret", Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México, DF.
Rev Alerg Mex. 2013 Oct-Dec;60(4):164-7.
Beekeepers are exposed to frequent honey-bee stings, and have the risk to develop hypersensitivity to bee venom, but long-term exposure can induce immune tolerance in them. Up to 30% of beekeepers show positive skin tests with honey-bee venom. The prevalence of systemic reactions to bee stings in beekeepers is from 14% to 42%.
To know the prevalence of hypersensitivity to honeybee venom in Mexican beekeepers and non-beekeepers by the use of skin tests.
A group of 139 beekeepers and a group of 60 non-beekeeper volunteers had a history and physical related to age, sex, family and personal atopic history and time of exposure to bee stings. Both groups received intradermal skin tests with honey-bee venom, 0.1 mcg/mL and 1 mcg/mL, and histamine sulphate 0.1 mg/mL and Evans solution as controls. The skin tests results of both groups were compared by chi-squared test.
Of the group of beekeepers, 116 were men (83%) and 23 women, average age was 39.3 years, had atopic family history 28% and personal atopy 13%, average time of exposure to bee stings was 10.9 years, skin tests with honey-bee venom were positive in 16.5% and 11% at 1 mcg/mL and 0.1 mcg/mL, respectively. In the non-beekeepers group venom skin tests were positive in 13.3% and 6.7% at 1 mcg/mL and 0.1 mcg/mL. We did not find significant differences between the two venom concentrations tested in both groups, neither in the number of positive skin tests between the two groups.
We found hypersensivity to honey-bee venom slightly higher in the beekeepers than in the group apparently not exposed. Both honey-bee venom concentrations used did not show difference in the results of the skin tests. The similarity of skin tests positivity between both groups could be explained by immune tolerance due to continued exposure of beekeepers.
养蜂人经常被蜜蜂蜇伤，有发生对蜂毒过敏的风险，但长期接触可诱导他们产生免疫耐受。高达30%的养蜂人皮试对蜂毒呈阳性反应。养蜂人对蜜蜂蜇伤发生全身反应的发生率为14%至42%。
通过皮肤试验了解墨西哥养蜂人和非养蜂人对蜂毒过敏的发生率。
一组139名养蜂人和一组60名非养蜂人志愿者进行了与年龄、性别、家族和个人过敏史以及接触蜜蜂蜇伤时间相关的病史和体格检查。两组均接受了0.1微克/毫升和1微克/毫升蜂毒的皮内皮肤试验，以及0.1毫克/毫升硫酸组胺和伊文氏溶液作为对照。两组的皮肤试验结果通过卡方检验进行比较。
在养蜂人群体中，男性116人（83%），女性23人，平均年龄39.3岁，有家族过敏史的占28%，个人过敏的占13%，平均接触蜜蜂蜇伤的时间为10.9年，1微克/毫升和0.1微克/毫升蜂毒皮试阳性率分别为16.5%和11%。在非养蜂人群体中，1微克/毫升和0.1微克/毫升蜂毒皮试阳性率分别为13.3%和6.7%。我们在两组所测试的两种蜂毒浓度之间未发现显著差异，两组之间皮试阳性的数量也未发现显著差异。
我们发现养蜂人对蜂毒的过敏反应略高于明显未接触过蜂毒的群体。所使用的两种蜂毒浓度在皮肤试验结果中未显示出差异。两组之间皮试阳性的相似性可以用养蜂人持续接触导致的免疫耐受来解释。
