HIGH SPONTANEOUS RELEASE OF HISTAMINE INVITRO FROM LEUKOCYTES OF PERSONS HYPERSENSITIVE TO FOOD

[摘要] In vitro studies of antigenic release of histamine from peripheral leukocytes (basophils) were done in more than 600 allergic children. Ordinarily only about 5-10% of the histamine content of leukocytes will leak out or be released spontaneously during incubation of suspensions in vitro, without the addition of antigen. A small percentage of children had leukocytes that released 25-100% of the histamine content spontaneously during incubation. The significance of this was not apparent until recently, when studies were concentrated on children suspected of hypersensitivity reactions to foods, among whom a much greater prevalence of spontaneous histamine release from leukocytes was encountered. Of children proved by a double-blind food challenge to react with manifestations of immediate hypersensitivity, 100% had leukocytes that consistently released over 25% (usually between 50% and 100%) of the histamine content spontaneously without the addition of antigen. Such high spontaneous histamine release appears to be characteristic of persons with clinical evidence of hypersensitivity to food.