Reduced capillary resistance in allergic patients.

Fifty four of 67 allergic children (81%) had a pathologically reduced capillary resistance (CR) of less than 16 cm Hg. Five of the 13 allergic children with normal CR were treated with corticosteroids. Prednisone improved CR in on patient for at least 24 h, and this was reflected by improvement of hemorrhagic parameters such as bleeding intensity, bleeding pattern and blood loss. There was no correlation between CR and IgE levels. 90% of the symptomatic relatives of allergic children had a reduced CR, but only 44% of asymptomatic relatives. CR presents a simple additional tool for diagnosing allergy and might give hints to the carrier state of allergy.