Passive transfer in man and the monkey of Type I allergy due to heat labile and heat stable antibody to complex salts of platinum

Abstract

Passive transfer (P–K) tests have been performed in man and monkeys with sera from a group of six refinery workers sensitive to ammonium hexachloroplatinate and tetrachloroplatinite. Positive (P–K) prick test reactions were elicited in three human recipients and in the monkey to three of the test sera. The other three sera gave inconsistent results in man and negative results in monkeys and these differences appeared to correspond with the duration of exposure of the workers. The passive transfer tests did not correlate with the intensity of the prick test reactions in the donors or with the RAST; there was partial correlation with total levels of IgE. Antigen mediated histamine release from whole blood and washed leucocytes from two of the six subjects correlated with the RAST and P–K levels. These findings confirm the presence of specific IgE antibody to the platinum salts, and also of heat stable, short‐term sensitising antibodies, presumably STS‐IgG.