ANTIBODIES TO <em>TOXOCARA</em> IN THE SERA OF VISCERAL LARVA MIGRANS PATIENTS: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RAISED LEV ELS OF IgE.

The article reports that it was possible to detect in the sera of patients, for whom visceral larva migrans had been confirmed histologically, not only antibodies to the excretory-secretory antigens of Toxocara canis by means of fluorescence techniques, but also specific homocytotropic antibody measured by passive cutaneous anaphylactic tests in baboons and monkeys. There is ample evidence that the basis for making a diagnosis of visceral larva migrans requires further investigation, and that the problem, as with the immunodiagnosis of all nematodiases depends ideally on the isolation and detection of a species specific nematode antigen/allergen to demonstrate the presence of correspondingly specific antibody.