Humoral immune response to mammalian allergens

Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay and passive hemagglutination were used to study the occurrence of antibodies of various isotypes against feline and bovine epithelial extracts in RAST-positive patients, exposed subjects (cat fanciers and senior veterinary students) and healthy controls. A high proportion of the patients had positive results, whereas the findings in exposed subjects varied, depending on the antigen and test technique. These observations caution against making far-reaching conclusions on the basis of narrow studies.