Evaluation of Helminth Skin-Test Antigens in a Hospital in New York City

Abstract

Summary Puerto Rican patients reacted to helminth skin test antigens with significantly enhanced reactions to various specific and nonspecific antigens as compared with patients born in the United States. An adult hospitalized group of 347 tubercular patients in New York City was skintested with four helminth antigens. In this group, 233 were native-born Americans, 26 foreign-born but of long residence in the United States, and 88 Puerto Ricans. All individuals were tested with antigens prepared from adult worms of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Dirofilaria immitis, Schistosoma mansoni and larvae of Trichinella spiralis and with a control. Among the 259 non-Puerto Ricans, none reacted to the A. cantonensis antigen, 3 to the D. immitis antigen, 9 to the T. spiralis antigen and 2 to the S. mansoni antigen. Among the 88 Puerto Rican patients 16 reacted to the A. cantonensis antigen, 10 to the D. immitis antigen, 9 to the T. spiralis antigen and 24 to the S. mansoni antigen. The epidemiologic importance of evaluating nematode skin test antigens in carefully selected control population groups is discussed.