Antigen induced release of histamine and SRS-A from human lung passively sensitized with reaginic serum.

Abstract

REAGINS are the skin sensitizing antibodies believed to be responsible for the clinical symptoms of hay fever and allergic asthma in man. They differ from precipitating antibodies in that they bind only to tissues of primate species1, are heat labile and do not form precipitate or fix complement on mixing with specific allergen in vitro2. As a consequence of these properties, the classical method of Prausnitz and Kustner3 (the PK test) remains the only reliable technique for measuring reagin activity. In this test allergic serum is injected into the skin of a non-sensitive human and a weal and flare reaction develops after challenge with antigen. The danger of transmitting infective hepatitis virus to the normal recipient in the PK test has led to many attempts, usually unsuccessful, to develop alternative in vitro procedures. Van Arsdel and Sells4, however, with human leucocytes, and Goodfriend et al.5 with monkey lung tissue, have demonstrated satisfactory passive sensitization after incubation with human allergic serum by measuring histamine release after addition of antigen. This communication describes an in vitro technique involving the passive sensitization of human lung tissue with serum from allergic individuals. The release of histamine and “slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis” (SRS-A) after exposure to specific antigen(s) has been used to measure the antigen–antibody reaction.