An in vitro system for the study of type I anaphylactic reactions in skin is described. Thin skin slices from sensitised rats are incubated with specific antigen and release of histamine is measured. Some simple characteristics of this system are defined. In further experiments histamine release is shown to be temperature-dependent and inhibition of release by disodium cromoglycate (Intal) is demonstrated.
SummaryA new simple and sensitive in-vitro method for the diagnosis of type 1 (IgE-mediated) hypersensitivity in man is described. Sliced human skin is passively sensitized by reaginic serum from allergic patients and the presence of antigen-specific IgE on the sensitized slices is detected by assay of antigen-evoked histamine release. Serum from 12 out of 14 patients with clinical respiratory allergy and positive skin tests gave significant antigenspecific histamine release. This method, which is essentially an in-vitro model of the Prausnitz-Kustner reaction, should prove of value in the diagnosis of human reaginic hypersensitivity in man.
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