Identity of Animal Anaphylaxis and Human Allergy (Protein Hypersensitiveness)

Abstract

The assumption that the symptoms of anaphylactic dyspnea in the guinea pig and the symptoms of dyspnea in the asthmatic patient can be explained on the common basis of anaphylactic hypersensitiveness was believed by the earlier investigators. Curiously enough this logical conclusion seems to have created a point of departure which resulted in a large series of studies particularly championed by Coca, Cooke and their co-workers to differentiate anaphylaxis in the animal and hypersensitiveness in the human being. This has succeeded in complicating one of the most important fundamental problems in hypersensitiveness.

In a most recent summation of his differentiation between anaphylaxis in the lower animal and human hypersensitiveness, Coca 1 makes the following statements. Anaphylactic antibodies in the lower animal react with antigen and cause shock; antibodies neutralize antigen and thus produce desensitization; they sensitize smooth muscle but not human skin.

In the differentiation of anaphylaxis and hypersensitiveness Coca found it necessary to devise the new terms “atopy” and “reagin”. By atopy Coca would designate certain clinical forms of hypersensitiveness in human beings; these individuals do not acquire their sensitization as do the lower animals, but are born with this particular hypersensitiveness that is inherited. The substance present in the blood of such atopic individuals is not an anaphylactic antibody but a specific body which he terms “skin-sensitizing reagin”. Individuals born with true reagins are exquisitely sensitive. Reagins can be passively transferred to a normal human skin but cannot sensitize smooth muscle. There is no phenomenon of desensitization in human hypersensitiveness.

Many attempts have been made to transfer human hypersensitiveness passively into the animal. In a general sense the results obtained were only suggestive. There has been a definite passive transfer of reagins from one human being to another.