Diagnosis of human allergy utilizing passive skin-sensitization in the monkey Macaca irus.

Abstract

SummaryBlood sera from patients suffering from castorbean-allergy will sensitize the skin of the Philippine crab-eating monkey, Macaca irus. The sensitized sites react to castorbean proteins, producing wheals and/or blanching characteristic of similar passive transfer tests (P.-K. tests) in nonallergic human volunteers. Skin reactions in the monkey are more easily interpreted when the colloidal dye Evans Blue is injected intravenously 5 or 10 minutes prior to challenge with the suspected allergenic material. The passive transfer of human serum antibodies into the skin of Macaca irus appears to be useful as a method which may be applied in lieu of the Prausnitz-Kustner test (on human volunteers) to avoid the grave risk of infection with serum hepatitis.