Sensitization of circulating basophils in guinea pig recipients of passive transfer of cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity (CBH) with immune serum: antigen-specific histamine release in vitro.

An in vitro histamine release assay was used to test the hypothesis that passive sensitization of circulating basophils is associated with the activity of immune serum that transfer the ability to elicit cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity (CBH) reactions. Systemic i.v. transfer of several types of immune sera that mediate CBH also led to passive sensitization of circulating basophils for antigen-specific release of histamine in vitro. In addition, we found that immune serum passively sensitizes basophils in vitro. Thus immune sera had three activities that are probably interconnected: sera will 1) passively transfer CBH in vivo, 2) passively sensitize basophils in vivo, and 3) passively sensitize basophils in vitro. These results suggest that passive sensitization of circulating basophils by immune serum contributes to the mechanism by which antibodies transfer the ability to elicit CBH reactions.