[Passive smoking and positive intracutaneous allergen tests in children with respiratory diseases].

In children with respiratory disease (bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchial asthma) skin hypersensitivity towards tobacco leaf crude extract has been tested and related to urinary cotinine level, the latter being most informative in assessing exposure to cigarette smoke. Besides routine intracutaneous tests a mixture of seven main brands of Bulgarian tobaccos (Burley, Virginia, Oriental etc.) has been applied as allergen. Urinary cotinine has been estimated by the method of BARLOW et al. [1]. Skin sensitization towards tobacco was positive in 2 (8%) of the children hospitalized for pneumonia and bronchitis and in 8 (47%) of children with bronchial asthma, followed up as outpatients. Cotinine concentrations were 66 mumol.l-1 and 107 mumol.l-1, respectively compared to 34 mumol.l-1 and 37 mumol.l-1 in healthy controls. Results outline the great importance of passive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, an all the year round domestic pollutant in the home of smoking parents.