OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether skin tests are suitable to predict the allergy reactions induced by Chinese herbal injections (CHIs). METHODS: The skin tests including skin prick tests (SPT), intradermal tests (IDT) and provocation tests including subcutaneous tests and intravenous tests were administered to 249 healthy subjects and 180 allergic patients for 3 CHIs, including ginkgolide injection, diterpene ginkgolide meglumine injection and Salvianolate lyophilized injection. The results of the provocation tests were used as the "gold standard" to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the skin tests. RESULTS: The results did not show any significant differences between the healthy and allergy groups in both skin tests and provocation tests (P>0.05). The specificities of SPT and IDT were 0.976 and 0.797, respectively, and the sensitivities of both SPT and IDT were 0. CONCLUSION Skin tests are insufficient to predict the likelihood of allergic reactions resulting from CHIs. (ChiCTR-CPC-15006921).
China ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Intradermal Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin Tests

intradermal cefazolin skin testing and its relationship with the history of β-lactam hypersensitivity.METHODS: The electronic medical records of patients who underwent intradermal cefazolin (0.3 mg/mL) skin testing without negative controls from January 2010 to January 2011 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital were evaluated. The history of β-lactam hypersensitivity of the patients was taken. Immediate adverse reactions after cefazolin injection were evaluated by searching the electronic medical records for key words and reviewing consultation documents of allergy specialists or dermatologists. The medical records of the patients were reviewed by an allergist.RESULTS: There were 13,153 cases of cefazolin skin testing over the 13-month study period. Among the 12,969 cases with negative skin test results, 8 had immediate hypersensitivity related to cefazolin (0.06%). The negative predictive value of cefazolin skin testing alone was 99.94%. The overall positivity rate of cefazolin skin tests was 1.4% (184/13,153). Of the cases with a history of allergy to β-lactams, 15% (6/40) showed a positive cefazolin skin test result compared to only 1.36% (178/13,113) of cases with no such history (P < 0.001) including some false-positive tests.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that routine screening involving cefazolin skin testing without negative controls is not useful for all patients, but could be helpful for those with a history of β-lactam hypersensitivity, although a large prospective study is needed to confirm this.]]>
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cefazolin ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Electronic Health Records ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Intradermal Tests ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Prospective Studies ; Seoul ; Skin Tests ; Skin ; Specialization

Although intradermal testing (IDT) is commonly used in the etiological diagnosis of allergies, in vitro testing for specific IgE (sIgE) is an attractive alternative. Currently, new laboratory techniques in veterinary allergological practice, including multiple allergen simultaneous tests (MASTs), gradually supersede in vivo tests. Both, serological (sIgE) and IDTs in fourteen atopic Malopolski horses were performed. Correlation and agreement between test results were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that sIgE to Acarus siro had the best diagnostic performance (Area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.969), followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (AUC = 0.844), Dermatophagoides farinae (AUC = 0.813) and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (AUC = 0.803). A significant positive correlation between IDT and MAST was found for A. siro (r(S) = 0.870; p = 0.00005), and D. farinae (r(S) = 0.657; p = 0.011). There was significant moderate agreement for 2 of 5 allergens, A. siro (κ = 0.569) and D. farinae (κ = 0.485) in semiquantitative assessment and significant fair to substantial agreement for 3 of 5 allergens, D. pteronyssinus (κ = 0.689), A. siro (κ = 0.569), D. farinae (κ = 0.432) in dichotomic assessment. Sensitivity ranged from 44% to 89%, depending on the allergen, while specificity was significantly higher for all allergens in MAST (60%–100%); the mean accuracy was 73% (manufacturer cut-off) and 77.4% (optimal cut-off) based on the Youden index. Compared with IDT, serological MAST showed good detection performance for 60% allergen sIgE in dichotomic assessment with substantial diagnostic capability, but careful clinical interpretation is needed for some allergens.
Allergens ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Diagnosis ; Horses ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intradermal Tests ; Mites ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Perioperative hypersensitivity reaction have been reported to have a variable degree of the incidence from differ countries and to be 1/353–18,600 approximately and its mortality has been reported to be 4%–4.76% in the United States and Japan, respectively. A 65-year-old male patient with hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and history of amoxicillin allergy was scheduled for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy due to prostate cancer. Lidocaine, propofol, and rocuronium were administered sequentially to induce general anesthesia. Twenty minutes after the rocuronium administration, severe hypotension and tachycardia developed. But key signs of hypersensitivity such as urticaria and bronchospasm were not appeared. The operation was canceled and we evaluated the cause of severe hypotension and could confirm hypersensitivity for rocuronium with intradermal test after 4 weeks.
Aged ; Amoxicillin ; Anaphylaxis ; Anesthesia, General ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bronchial Spasm ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Hypertension ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Intradermal Tests ; Japan ; Lidocaine ; Male ; Mortality ; Propofol ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Tachycardia ; United States ; Urticaria

Chlorpheniramine maleate is commonly used antihistamine. Since antihistamines are the main therapeutic agents for symptomatic treatment of urticaria, anaphylaxis to antihistamines may lead to errors in diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of anaphylaxis induced by chlorpheniramine maleate confirmed by intradermal test. A 35-year-old female experienced history of anaphylaxis after intramuscular injection of chlorpheniramine maleate. Skin prick test was negative, but intradermal test was positive. Patient also experienced mild dizziness after intradermal test and refused to perform any further evaluation such as oral challenge test. Anaphylaxis for chlorpheniramine maleate is very rare but should be considered.
Adult ; Anaphylaxis ; Chlorpheniramine ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Female ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Intradermal Tests ; Skin ; Urticaria

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) and diagnostic tests are based on well qualified allergen extracts, which are derived from biologic organisms. The allergenicity of the extracts is markedly affected by the climate, soil, year of production, storage methods, and manufacturing processes. Thus, standardization is a crucial process to guarantee the clinical efficacy and safety of the treatment and diagnostic reagents in allergic diseases. There are 2 different standardization processes, one is In vivo and the other is in vitro standardization. In vivo standardization is done by skin prick or intradermal tests. For in vitro standardization, measurements of weight/volume and protein nitrogen units have been widely used since the early period of AIT. In the 1970s, immunological methods such as radial immunodiffusion, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition test and basophil activation test were developed. Allergen potency measured by ELISA inhibition test reflects the potency measured by skin tests and has been widely used for quality control of batch-to-batch variation. Recently, standardizations focused on the major allergen content of extracts have developed. Standardization for major allergens requires reliable reference materials (RMs) made of recombinant allergens and 2-site ELISA kits. However, only a few reliable RM and 2-site ELISA kits are available. For the standardization process, allergen RMs are essential. The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides 19 allergen RMs, and our research team also proved 9 RMs which are important in Korea. In conclusion, allergen standardization is an essential process for the development of reliable treatment and diagnostic reagents, and allergy specialist should be familiar with the concept of allergen standardization.
Allergens ; Basophils ; Biological Products ; Climate ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunodiffusion ; In Vitro Techniques ; Indicators and Reagents ; Intradermal Tests ; Korea ; Nitrogen ; Quality Control ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Soil ; Specialization ; Treatment Outcome ; United States Food and Drug Administration

No abstract available.
Hypersensitivity* ; Intradermal Tests*

BACKGROUND: Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are a leading cause of perioperative anaphylaxis. However, the performance of systematic screening skin tests to detect reactions for NMBAs prior to general anesthesia is not recommended. We retrospectively examined intradermal tests (IDTs) for rocuronium and cisatracurium in patients with a history of allergy. METHODS: We reviewed the records of patients who underwent IDTs for NMBAs between January 1 and December 31, 2016. We analyzed the patients’ allergy histories and skin test results for NMBAs. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of positive IDTs was 5.8% (26/451), and there was no significant difference in prevalence among allergy types (P = 0.655). In logistic regression analysis, there was no allergy history that had a significant effect on positive IDT for NMBAs. CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between allergy history and positive skin test for NMBAs. Therefore, a systematic screening test for NMBAs or other anesthetic agents before anesthesia is not considered necessary even in patients with an allergy history.
Anaphylaxis ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Intradermal Tests ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies* ; Skin Tests* ; Skin*

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is rarely caused by radiocontrast media (RCM). The role of skin tests for the diagnosis and evaluation of cross-reactivity in a delayed type of RCM-induced hypersensitivity have yet to be determined. Here, we report a case of iodixanol-induced AGEP where we safely administered alternative RCM using patch tests. A 44-year-old woman had coronary artery angiography (CAG) for the evaluation of ischemic heart disease. She was on regular hemodialysis because of end-stage renal disease. She was given iodixanol (Visipaque) during CAG. Approximately 1 day after CAG, she developed AGEP. The patient was rehospitalized for CAG again after 1 year. We performed skin tests to choose safe alternative RCM. Intradermal tests with iodixanol, iohexol (Bonorex) and Iopamidol (Pamiray) showed negative responses. Patch tests showed a positive response to iodixanol, equivocal to iohexol, and negative to Iopamidol. We finally chose Iopamidol and performed CAG successfully without any adverse reaction. Patch tests may be a useful tool for the diagnosis and choice of safe alternatives in RCM-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions such as AGEP.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis* ; Adult ; Angiography ; Contrast Media* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Intradermal Tests ; Iohexol ; Iopamidol ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Patch Tests* ; Renal Dialysis ; Skin Tests

Prophylactic antibiotics that are used to prevent post-operative infection can commonly cause anaphylactic reactions during anesthesia. It is therefore necessary to perform a skin test before antibiotics are administered in order to diagnose and prevent anaphylactic reactions. However, the results of the antibiotic skin test can differ according to the drug, dose, and reagent concentration. We report a case of anaphylactic shock with bronchospasm and cardiovascular collapse immediately following administration of the prophylactic cefazedone after induction of general anesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Anaphylaxis* ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Bronchial Spasm ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Intradermal Tests ; Shock ; Skin Tests* ; Skin*