New In-vitro Test for IgE-mediated Hypersensitivity in Man

Abstract

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.