Abstract: The histamine in a sample is determined by contacting the sample with a histamine binding agent, such as glass, which has been treated, e.g., with a polar organic polymer, to reduce the affinity of the agent for an interfering component of the sample while substantially retaining the agent's histamine binding capacity. Such an agent facilitates determination of histamine in whole blood samples. Preferably, the agent is provided as a conglomerate of histamine-binding bodies, such as glass fibers, in a binder. Preferred binders are polyvinyl acetate, a vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer, and polyvinyl alcohol or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Histamine is detected or determined selectively in a sample by causing the sample to contact glass microfibers in such a quantitative proportion as will permit the present histamine to bind to the fibers. The fiber bound amount of histamine may be determined by competitive determination in the presence of labelled histamine on the basis of a standard curve, or may be determined directly by conventional coupling reactions. The method is simple and particularly useful for allergy diagnostics because it exhibits good correlation with known fluorometric methods.

Abstract: Histamine is detected or determined selectively in a sample by causing the sample to contact glass microfibers in such a quantitative proportion as will permit the histamine present to bind to the fibers. The amount of bound histamine may be determined by competitive determination in the presence of labelled histamine on the basis of a standard curve, or may be determined directly by conventional coupling reactions.The method is simple and particularly useful for allergy diagnostics because it exhibits good correlation with known fluorometric methods.