Correlation between hypersensitivity to parenteral chymopapain and the presence of IgE anti-chymopapain antibody.

A solid phase radioimmunoassay, similar to the RAST, was developed in an attempt to predict anaphylactic reactions in patients injected with the proteolytic enzyme chymopapain, used in therapy for prolapsed intervertebral disc. The test measured the serum content of anti-chymopapain antibodies of the IgE class. Of 1263 patients tested, twelve gave anaphylactic reactions. The test was predictive for seven of them (58%), while sixty were false positives. Measurements were also made of anti-chymopapain IgE or other classes of antibodies which developed in the sera of patients after chymopapain injection. The presence of antibodies to chymopapain in individuals who had not been injected was also demonstrated.