Equivalent inhibition by terbutaline of anti-human IgE skin responses in atopic and non-atopic subjects.

Previous studies have shown that pretreatment of skin with beta 2-adrenoceptor stimulants antagonizes anti-human IgE elicited wheal and flare reactions in atopic and non-atopic subjects. This experimental system was employed to further study the hypothesis that atopic disease and bronchial asthma unrelated to atopy might be associated with a beta-adrenoceptor defect. Eight patients with extrinsic and 10 patients with intrinsic asthma deprived of oral bronchodilator treatment and corticosteroids for at least a week, and in a clinically stable condition, 10 patients with extrinsic rhinitis and on no treatment, as well as age and sex matched healthy control subjects showed almost identical dose-response relations for the inhibitory effect of intradermally injected terbutaline (0.25-100 ng), on anti-IgE elicited skin reactions. In four asthmatic patients the inhibitory effect of terbutaline did not change following a treatment period with oral terbutaline and theophylline. The data do not support the presence of a cutaneous mast cell beta 2-adrenoceptor defect in patients with atopy or bronchial asthma unrelated to atopy.