Phenomenon of specific inhibition of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes under the influence of allergen.

The purpose of our investigation was to establish how the intensity of induced luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes is affected by the cultivation of allergen with the blood of allergic patients (pollinosis, bronchial asthma and penicillin allergy) and animals with allergic processes (Arthus' phenomenon, guinea pigs sensitized by horse serum). The results of all assays were uniform. In all cases three phases of changes in induced chemiluminescence were established. In the first phase with the minimum doses of specific and unspecific allergens, either no changes in chemiluminescence were found or chemiluminescence even increased. With higher doses of allergen came the second phase - inhibition of stimulated chemiluminescence when specific allergen had been added and the absence of changes in the tests with unspecific allergen. We defined this phase as the phase of specific chemiluminescence inhibition. With a further increase in the concentration of allergen came the third phase. It expressed itself in the inhibition of stimulated chemiluminescence under the influence of both specific and unspecific allergen. We viewed this phase as a manifestation of the toxic influence of allergen on polymorphonuclear leukocytes. We suggested using the second phase for diagnosing sensitization.