Nightly XXXX caused by allergens in silk-filled bed quilts: clinical and immunologic studies.

@entity1 @entity565 @entity12638
Bed quilts filled with silk waste were found to cause nightly attacks of @entity565 . The first symptoms appeared on an average after 7 mo of exposure at a mean @entity1 age of 30 yr. About 50% of the @entity1 could be classified as atopic. Extract of the filling material revealed positive scratch and RAST tests in most @entity1 . The bed quilts were advertised as being filled with pure wild silk (from @entity12638 of the genus Antheraea feeding on oak leaves), but it was found that in most cases the filling also included waste of cultivated silk ( @entity12638 ). The origin of the allergen was sought. Since textile products of silk are considered to be practically nonallergenic, some type of contaminant appeared the most likely candidate. No allergen was found in cocoons, chrysalis (pupa), or moths of Antheraea. However, some cocoons of @entity12638 , usually in small amounts, and excretions of the @entity12638 did contain allergen. High concentrations of allergen were found in an extract of living insects of the genus Anthrenus that was present in one batch of @entity12638 cocoons. Thus, the silk waste appeared to be contaminated with material from the @entity12638 and also with infesting insects, which together create a very potent allergen repertoire that after a short incubation time, in a considerable frequency, elicits a rise in asthmatic symptoms and high serum IgE antibody levels.
