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From: jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Any cures for poison ivy out there?
Message-ID: <525@osiris.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 08:52:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: osiris.525
Posted: Mon Sep 16 08:52:48 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Sep-85 05:40:13 EDT
References: <4305@alice.UUCP> <337@cbuxc.UUCP>
Organization: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Lines: 17

> I read an article recently (shows you how bad my memory is) that indicated
> that your immune system responds to PI because it is being introduced into
> your body through the skin (touchs a group of cells that decide whether
> or not an immune response should take place - Langerhan cells?). Anyway,
> experiments showed that if the PI sap (which is what causes the immune
> response) is injected directly into the bloodstream then subsequent
> PI contact with the skin will not cause an immune response (e.g.
> inflamation, itching etc.). 
> 

	I believe this was in a recent issue of "Smithsonian", related to
the dangers of exposure to poison ivy for forest fire fighters.

-- 
jcpatilla

"At night, the ice weasels come."