Specific allergic sensitization to Strongyloides antigens in human strongyloidiasis

Reaginic antibodies to antigens from the human parasite Strongyloides stercoralis were studied by histamine release from basophils in 15 patients with chronic uncomplicated strongyloidiasis and in 12 controls (six North Americans with no evidence of parasitic diseases, two patients with Schistosoma mansoni, two with hookworm, one with Ascaris lumbricoides, and one with Onchocerca volvulus). All of the patients had antibodies to the somatic larval antigens, and 14 of 15 patients also had antibodies to the excretory/secretory products of S. stercoralis larvae. None of the controls had a positive response to any of the antigens tested. These findings indicate that patients with chronic strongyloidiasis have parasite-specific IgE antibodies and that S. stercoralis larval allergens may have a potential role in the immunodiagnosis of strongyloidiasis.