Reverse passive respiratory reactions due to anti-IgE in rhesus monkeys.

Two groups of Rhesus monkeys were previously established. One group included animals with immediate-type responses to respiratory challenge with ascaris antigen. The second group included animals with no respiratory reactivity to aerosol challenge with the same antigen. Both groups of Rhesus monkeys were subjected to controlled respiratory challenge with rabbit anti-human IgE. This anti-human IgE had sufficient cross reactivity with rhesus IgE to produce both the expected reverse passive cutaneous reactions and an acute respiratory response to aerosol challenge in five of six monkeys. The respiratory response to anti-IgE has been termed the reverse passive respiratory reaction. The characteristics of respiratory responses in animals reacting to anti-IgE were compared with those resulting from ascaris antigen challenge. The reverse passive respiratory reactions meet the criteria which have been established for the other acute previously described IgE mediated respiratory responses in Rhesus monkeys.