Colonic basophil hypersensitivity.

Contact hypersensitivity reactions were elicited by intraluminal application of DNCB to the colon of guinea pigs and were found sometimes to contain large infiltrates of basophils. These colonic basophil hypersensitivity reactions were accompanied by systemic sensitization and were not seen in nonspecific colonic inflammatory responses induced by croton oil. The heterogenous immune inflammatory responses induced in the colon by DNCB contact sensitivity may serve as a model for the study of inflammatory bowel disease.