THE SPECIFICITY OF THE HUMAN IGE RESPONSE TO NECATOR-AMERICANUS

Human IgE responses to helminth infections have been described as both problematic and beneficial, in that type I hypersensitivity to parasi te infections can reputedly cause pathology and/or parasite expulsion, (Pritchard Quinnell & Walsh 1995). In the present communication, we c an report that the IgE response to helminth infections may be benefici al in a diagnostic sense, in that antibodies of this isotype showed mi nimal cross-reactivity against antigens from the parasites tested. Thi s information may be of benefit to workers attempting to establish ELI SA assays for the specific diagnosis of zoonotic hookworm infections, for example, Ancylostoma caninum (Croese 1988), particularly in region s where human hookworm infection is endemic.