The radioallergosorbent test (RAST) for the serological diagnosis of human anisakiasis.

The serum of patients with parasitologically confirmed and one patient with a clinically presumptive case of anisakiasis were tested by the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and counter-electrophoresis (CEP) for IgE and IgG antibodies, respectively, using antigens prepared from larval (L3) stage Anisakis simplex and larval (L2) stage Toxocara canis. All sera were RAST-positive to the A. simplex antigen and RAST-negative to the T. canis antigen. All sera were CEP-negative to both antigens. The presence of a specific IgE antibody suggests that the RAST could serve as a useful technique for the serodiagnosis of anisakiasis in man.