title: Adult onset of cow's milk protein allergy with small-intestinal mucosal IgE mast cells.
abstract: We report a female patient with adult onset of cow's milk protein allergy. For 1 year, she experienced repeated gastrointestinal symptoms and had a single exercise-induced anaphylactic reaction. In addition to positive skin tests and specific IgE to milk proteins and a positive challenge test, immunohistochemistry of the small intestine showed a marked increase of IgE-positive mast cells. This finding is highly specific and could provide an additional tool for diagnosing cow's milk protein allergy and possibly also other food allergies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bircher
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Gebbers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D008894:Milk Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E