Detection in allergic individuals of IgE specific for the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus

Three techniques were developed to detect IgE specific to Ixodes holocyclus. The radioimmunoassay (RIA) was found to be superior to both radioallergosorbent test and enzyme immunoassay techniques. Validation of the RIA technique was provided by dilution experiments and by a blind study involving 13 volunteers; the RIA graph was linear over a wide range of concentrations. The RIA ratio clearly discriminated between those volunteers with and without systemic allergic reactions and helped to identify borderline cases showing local or cutaneous allergic reactions. It appears to be suitable for diagnostic and research applications.