The immunologic response to tobacco antigens in smokers. IV. Effect of heparin, aspirin, promethazine and prednisone.

The effects of heparin, aspirin, promethazine and prednisone on late skin reactions, provoked by tobacco extracts were studied in four groups of 17 patients with coronary artery disease. In all patients, intracutaneous tests were made with four different tobacco preparations, both on the first day of their hospitalisation and after 14 days of therapy. It was found that strongly positive late skin reactions with tobacco extracts were decreased or suppressed in patients taking heparin and in patients taking prednisone, but not in those who were treated with promethazine or with aspirin. This seems to confirm the hypothesis that these reactions are really provoked by a local type III allergy to tobacco antigens.