Preliminary immunologic studies of ciguatera poisoning.

Preliminary immunologic studies of ciguatera poisoning were performed with serum samples from patients and extracts from both toxic and nontoxic fish. Counterimmunoelectrophoresis disclosed precipitin lines with toxic fish extracts and effectively discriminated between samples established as toxic or nontoxic on the basis of human toxic reactions and by an in vivo mouse bioassay. However, it is not currently possible to conclude that affected individuals had specific antibody to ciguatoxin, since putative immune and nonimmune serum samples gave equally clear precipitin reactions with toxic extracts.