Infection with the helminthic parasites Ascaris lumbricoides and/or Necator americanus (hookworm) induces the production in man of high levels of serum IgE. The specificity of this IgE antibody when measured by RAST to a wide range of allergens was restricted in general to the helminthic antigens. Absorption of the sera with immunosorbents produced by coupling extracts of A. lumbricoides to CNBr activated Sepharose 4B established that Ascaris antigen specific IgE antibodies contributed a minor fraction of the total serum IgE. These observations suggest that parasitic infections in man as in laboratory animals potentiate the production of high levels of IgE with specificity unrelated to that of the parasite antigens. While the specificity of this potentiated IgE was not established, it is not directed towards inhalant allergens.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.