IgE response and histamine release in chronic human schistosomiasis.

Total and specific IgE anti-schistosome antibodies were quantitated in 31 patients with chronic schistosomiasis and in 15 controls. Both levels of total and specific IgE were significantly increased in sera of 74 and 68% of infected patients respectively. Histamine release from basophils by specific antigens was assessed using a spectrofluorimetric method. This test was found to be highly significant in all the patients studied. There was a significant correlation between specific IgE levels and histamine release (R = 0.43, p less than 0.05).