Immediate hypersensitivity in the guinea pig conjunctiva. III. long-term persistence of the hypersensitive state and characterization of antibodies.

The ocular immediate hypersensitivity reaction in guinea pigs to topically applied normal rabbit serum can be evoked as long as 4 years after sensitization. The reaction was as severe and tended to persist for longer than that evoked 6 months after sensitization. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis tests showed that very high titres of homocytotropic antibodies were present and that both IgE- and IgG1-like antibodies were involved. Sensitization with one set of injections instead of two was not consistently successful and the response on challenge was mild to moderate. Pretreatment of eyes with Isoptocarpine before antigenic challenge had no effect on the response. The addition of bacterial lipopolysaccharide to the first set of sensitizing injections produced hypersensitivity in animals which were otherwise refractory to sensitization.