Basophil degranulation tests in atopic allergic states: A pilot study of ragweed pollen sensitive patients

Abstract Of 22 patients with clinically active hay fever and positive skin tests to ragweed pollen extract, 27 per cent gave positive basophil tests with the use of the same extract. One half of these positive test reactors had received hyposensitization therapy One of 12 nonallergic controls gave a positive basophil test with the same extract. The basophil test, as performed by the methods described, does not lend itself to practical application in the detection of the ragweed-sensitive patient.