Histamine and catecholamine values in allergic subjects under specific hyposensitization treatment.

It has been quite some time since a histamine/catecholamine balance was established. This balance was also observed at the moment of anaphylactic shock in dogs previously hypersensitized. Few findings have demonstrated that histamine is released in skin reaction produced by allergen injection. The hypothesis that the histamine release was positive in intradermal and subcutaneous reaction provoked through injecting both routes by allergen used for hyposensitization led us to carry out the present study in a group of allergic patients. We determined the quantity of histamine found in blood plasma prior to and 4 hours after hyposensitization, and observed if there was an increase in the histamine and catecholamine produced, that is to say if a histamine-catecholamine balance was established. However, no such balance was produced. Instead it was evident in this work that no histamine was released in the area of administration. We in part confirm the works of other authors which doubt the existence of such a release and incline towards the idea that what is released are vasoactive kinins.