Abstract
The clinical features and results of standard laboratory investigations have been studied in children with cows' milk protein intolerance and the results compared with an in vitro test, examining the degranulation of peripheral blood basophils to cows' milk antigen. Of 67 children investigated, 26 had probable intolerance to cows' milk, and maximal basophil degranulation responses in these children were significantly increased (p<0.01). The most striking differences were those observed between children with definite cows' milk protein intolerance and control individuals (p < 0.002). Of 14 children with definite cows' milk intolerance clinically, only 4 had negative responses. The basophil degranulation test may be a valuable, simple and inexpensive investigation in the diagnosis of cows' milk protein intolerance and perhaps also in other conditions in which food sensitivity plays a part.