Humoral and cell mediated immune responses in scabietic patients.

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were studied in forty scabietic patients and twenty healthy control individuals. The parameter findings for quantitative assessment of humoral immune response by the single radial immune diffusion technique indicated that IgA was significantly decreased, IgG & IgM were significantly increased while there was no statistical difference in the level of IgE, C3 & C4 compared to the normal control group. The cell mediated immune response was estimated in vivo by the intradermal test. It showed insignificant decrease in the number of positive reactors versus the control group. The macrophage migration inhibition test as an in vitro index for determining the cell mediated immune response was significantly diminished. This study indicates that humoral and cell-mediated immune responses play an important role in the pathogenesis of scabies.