title: A rare case of food allergy: monosensitivity to kiwi (Actinidia chinensis).
abstract: We present a case of hypersensitivity to kiwi in a 26 year-old patient with no previous atopic history. The first reaction episode occurred a few minutes after kiwi ingestion, presenting with a localized pruritic reaction. This symptomatology repeated itself a few months later, again immediately after eating kiwi and was accompanied by dysphagia, vomiting and urticaria. In the complementary laboratory analyses a total IgE of 187 IU/ml was appreciated. The skin test to inhalant and food antigens were negative, while the kiwi extract produced a + + + + reaction. The histamine release test was positive (20%). Specific IgE levels (Kallestad) demonstrated results of 0.35 AEU/ml (class I). Specific IgG4 levels were normal and the hemagglutination test was negative. With the above results, we concluded that we were dealing with a case of monosensitivity to kiwi which was probably IgE mediated.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Alergologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: de la Cuesta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feliu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Córdoba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005638:Fruit / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology; D012882:Skin Tests; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology