Food and chemical sensitivity. Clinical and immunologic correlates.

Six allergic patients and six normal controls were studied serologically before and after provocative challenge with allergic substances. The patients showed impaired modulation of the immune system prior to challenge. The challenge blood changes in patients with adverse clinical responses were consistent with type 1 and/or type 3 immune responses. Normal controls showed no abnormal laboratory or clinical changes. The data support the hypothesis that an abnormal immune reaction develops in allergic patients who sustain an adverse clinical response to ingestion of foods or inhalation of chemicals to which they are sensitive.