RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Aspergillus skin hypersensitivity in patients of COPD JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP P4030 VO 44 IS Suppl 58 A1 Vishal Chopra A1 Parul Mrigpuri A1 Don Gregory Mascerehnas YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P4030.abstract AB Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is caused by hypersensitivity to the antigens of the Aspergillus. A. fumigatus causes more than 80% of cases of ABPA. There have been case reports on ABPA in COPD. The aim was to evaluate the rate of Aspergillus skin hypersensitivity to various Aspergillus antigens in patients of COPD. 100 patients with COPD and 100 healthy controls were included. Intradermal Aspergillus skin test using 0.02 ml of Aspergillus antigens (fumigatus, niger, flavus, versicolor and tamari). Aspergillus hypersensitivity (AH) was defined as the presence of immediate cutaneous hyperreactivity to the Aspergillus antigen. All statistical tests were two-sided and performed at a significance level of =.05.All analyses were conducted using SPSS for Windows . The 100 COPD patients consisted of 95 males and 5 females with a mean (95% CI) age 51.34years(49.19-53.59). 95% were smokers.15% of the COPD patients were positive to at least one of the five Aspergillus antigens tested of which 86.7% were males and 13.3% were females. None of the members in the control population demonstrated hypersensitivity to any of the tested Aspergillus antigens. On univariate analysis there was no relationship of Aspergillus hypersensitivity in COPD patients with age, gender and absolute eosinophil count. There have always been a overlap in COPD and asthma. Even in the scarcity of studies showing direct evidence of aspergillus skin hypersensitivity in patients of COPD there are enough studies in the literature pointing towards the possibility. This study is just a step forwards to explore this possibility and differentiate patients of COPD with element of aspergillus skin hypersensitivity so that they can be treated in a better way.