RAST with human dander allergen in atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Using highly purified allergens from skin flakes of the human scalp and from house dust, it was demonstrated that lgE antibodies against the former can be detected only in cases of severe atopic dermatitis (AD), but not in asthma (without eczema) and not in hay fever or rhinitis patients. The RAST scores for human dander correlated well with total lgE levels. Also, RAST scores for human dander allergen correlated very well with those for house dust. This could not have been due to allergenic cross-contamination, as the house dust RAST can be strongly positive in asthma and rhinitis patients, whereas the human dander RAST is always negative. Haemolytic complement consurnption by both allergens, in contrast, correlated well in all these diseases. The results indicate a dissociation of basic mechanisms in asthma versus AD.