ALLERGY SPECIFIC IgG: PIGEON SERUM PROTEINS, FEATHERS & DROPPINGS

HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS (HP) IS A COMPLEX SYNDROME RESULTING FROM REPEATED EXPOSURE TO A VARIETY OF ORGANIC PARTICLES. HP MAY PRESENT AS ACUTE, SUBACUTE OR CHRONIC CLINICAL FORMS BUT WITH FREQUENT OVERLAP OF THESE FORMS. A COMPLEX MIXTURE OF HIGH & LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT PROTEINS FROM AVIAN SERUM, FECES AND FEATHERS PRODUCE THE BIRD FANCIER S LUNG (BFL), ALSO CALLED PIGEON-BREEDER S LUNG. PIGEONS, PARAKEETS, BUDGERIGARS AND OTHER SMALL CAGE BIRDS ARE USUALLY INVOLVED, BUT THE DISEASE MAY ALSO OCCUR IN INDIVIDUALS USING FEATHER-DOWN DUVETS AND PILLOWS AND EVEN BY INDIRECT CONTACT WITH BIRDS IN CONSORTS (EG.HANDLING OTHERS CLOTHING). PIGEON SERUM PROTEINS, FEATHERS AND DROPPINGS SPECIFIC IGG HAS SENSITIVITY OF 100% AND SPECIFICITY OF 84.62% AT CUT OFF OF 30 MG/L FOR BIRD FANCIER S HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS.