Prausnitz–Küstner, n. Immunol.
(ˈpraʊznɪts ˈk{smY}stnə(r))
The names of Carl Willy Prausnitz (1876–1963), German bacteriologist, and Heinz Küstner (b. 1897), German gynaecologist, used attrib. (esp. in Prausnitz–Küstner reaction) with reference to the injection of serum from an allergic subject into the skin of another individual, followed after 1–2 days by injection of the allergen, which produces a weal if a reagin (also known as a Prausnitz–Küstner antibody) is present. More commonly abbreviated as P(–)K (see *P II.).
An injection of this type was carried out by Prausnitz, using Küstner as his subject, and reported in Centralblatt f. Bakteriol., Parasitenkunde und Infektionskrankheiten: Erste Abteilung (1921) LXXXVI. 160.
| 1929 Arch. Dermatol. & Syphilol. XIX. 193 All those forms of idiosyncrasy in which a clear and certain Prausnitz–Küstner reaction is obtained..belong to one special group. 1937 R. W. Fairbrother Text-bk. Med. Bacteriol. x. 130 The production of passive hypersensitiveness can be readily demonstrated by means of the Prausnitz–Küstner test. 1951 Whitby & Hynes Med. Bacteriol. (ed. 5) vii. 97 The Prausnitz–Küstner Reaction. The presence of antibodies (or reagins) in the serum of hypersensitive patients can be demonstrated by the P–K reaction. 1973 R. G. Krueger et al. Introd. Microbiol. xxv. 606/2 It is now believed to be the distinct class of immunoglobulins that is responsible for reagenic activity (that is, the so-called Prausnitz–Kustner antibody..). 1976 Clin. & Exper. Immunol. XXV. 159 The highly purified allergen fragment inhibits..Prausnitz– Küstner reactions in non-allergic volunteers sensitized with the sera of patients sensitive to green peas. 1983 Allergy XXXVIII. 168/2 In the Prausnitz–Küstner serum transfer test HBsAg-negative serum from one birch pollen allergic donor was used. |