Studies on the antigenic relationship of insect extracts by reagin neutralization: Evidence for nonspecific inactivation of reagin

Abstract

1. 1. Skin sites sensitized with serum containing multiple unrelated reagins and desensitized with one allergen or treated with compound 48 80 fail to react to compound 48 80 or histamine for ten to twenty-one days. 2. 2. Testing such sites with an unrelated allergen shows that all reaginic activity has been permanently lost at these sites. 3. 3. That such loss is not due to tissue injury is demonstrated by the fact that the sites may be made reactive again after twenty-one days by resensitization with the original reaginic serum. 4. 4. These findings emphasize the pitfalls inherent in some of the techniques of passive transfer in the study of allergen relationships. They also suggest certain other approaches to the study of antigen and antibody and a possible approach to therapy in some types of allergy.