[Allergen tests with midge allergens in Moriyama City, located on the south coast of Lake Biwa].

The main species of midge which emerge from the Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan, are Tokunagayusurika akamusi (TA) and Chironomus pulmons. In order to determine how the existence of Lake Biwa affects the positivity to allergen tests with midge allergens, randomly selected asthmatic patients were examined by skin test and RAST. Out of 129 patients, 35 (27%) were positive to scratch tests with an extract of Chironomus yoshimatsui (CY). Out of 64 patients, 16 (25%) were positive to TA RAST and 12 (19%) were positive to CY RAST. The positive rate of skin tests was highest in the patients aged between 20 and 39. The positive rate of TA RAST was not significantly higher than the rates reported in other districts of Japan.