[Immediate hypersensitivity in brucellosis. New data (author's transl)].

The presence of clinical manifestations of the "immediate hypersensitivity" process has been frequently described in veterinarians, bacteriological laboratory technicians and some patients with chronic brucellosis. We have looked for the presence of specific IgE in these conditions. Twenty-four patients, three months at least after the acute phase of their brucellosis, were given exploration of their humoral, cellular and specific immunity against brucellosis. For this purpose, beside usual classical tests: serodiagnosis, total and specific IgE assays, intradermoreaction and lymphoblastic transformation test with specific antigen (PI fraction) and an adaptation of human basophil degranulation test (HBDT) with PI fraction were performed on all 24 patients. Exploration of immediate hypersensitivity allows us to show neither an abnormal increase of hyper-IgE frequency nor an increase of anti-brucella specific IgE. HBDT is positive in 41 p. cent of the patients. It confirms that immediate hypersensitivity exists. HBDT gives justification for trying desensitization which has been proposed in the past. HBDT will possibly allow us to evaluate desensitization effectiveness.