RESUMEN
We analyse two cases of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) allergy. The first regards a female laboratory technician with a history of bronchial asthma due to cat allergy, who developed an exacerbation of bronchial symptoms as a consequence of BSA powder inhalation at work. To date, sensitization to BSA as a cause of occupational asthma has rarely been reported in the scientific literature. The second case concerns a woman with a similar cat sensitivity, who presented an oral allergy syndrome-type clinical reaction, gastric pain and diarrhoea immediately after eating cooked pork meat. Subsequently, she developed the same reaction after eating goat meat and goat cheese, and then also after eating beef. Both patients resulted specifically sensitized to BSA and to other mammalian serum albumins which play a role as panallergens in animals. The two cases show that BSA, a well known cause of food allergy in childhood, may also provoke symptoms of food allergy in adulthood, though in case of powder inhalation, it may provoke respiratory symptoms. Prior animal sensitization appears to represent a risk factor.
Asunto(s)
Asma Ocupacional/inducido químicamente , Gatos/inmunología , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/etiología , Hipersensibilidad/etiología , Carne/efectos adversos , Albúmina Sérica Bovina/efectos adversos , Animales , Asma Ocupacional/sangre , Asma Ocupacional/diagnóstico , Asma Ocupacional/inmunología , Biomarcadores/sangre , Pruebas de Provocación Bronquial , Reacciones Cruzadas , Femenino , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/sangre , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/diagnóstico , Hipersensibilidad a los Alimentos/inmunología , Humanos , Hipersensibilidad/sangre , Hipersensibilidad/diagnóstico , Hipersensibilidad/inmunología , Inmunoglobulina E/sangre , Exposición por Inhalación/efectos adversos , Pruebas Intradérmicas , Persona de Mediana Edad , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Polvos , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Factores de Riesgo , Albúmina Sérica Bovina/inmunologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by Th2-polarized immune response. Soluble HLA (sHLA) molecules play an immunomodulatory activity. So far, however, no study investigated them in AR. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate sHLA-G and sHLA-A,-B,-C serum levels in AR patients with pollen allergy and in a group of healthy controls. METHODS: Forty-nine AR patients were enrolled. A group of healthy nonallergic subjects was considered as control. sHLA-G and sHLA-A,-B,-C serum levels were determined by immunoenzymatic method. The study was conducted during the winter, such as outside the pollen season. RESULTS: Allergic patients had significantly higher levels of both sHLA-G (P < 0.0001) and sHLA-A,-B,-C (P = 0.011) molecules than normal controls. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between these two soluble molecules (r = 0.69) in allergic patients. CONCLUSION: The present study provides the first evidence that both sHLA-G and sHLA-A,-B,-C serum levels are significantly increased in AR patients with pollen allergy.
