title: Hypersensitivity to carrot associated with specific IgE to grass and tree pollens.
abstract: This study deals with a 34-year-old female cook with no previous history of atopy, who was studied because of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and contact urticaria in both hands associated with severe itching when she handled raw carrot. The patient had had anaphylactic episodes after accidental ingestion of raw carrots, but she tolerated cooked carrots. Skin prick tests with carrot, celery, and olive, and birch, grass, and mugwort pollens were positive. Total IgE was 411 UI/ml. Specific IgE to olive, grass, and weed pollens were 10.92, 6.17, and 2.4 AU/ml, respectively. The histamine release test was positive for carrot, celery, celeriac, and olive pollen up to a dilution of 1/10(6). Immunoblot of raw carrot showed a single IgE-binding 18-kDa band. IgE reactivity for raw carrot immunoblot was completely inhibited by carrot and by celery, but not by olive or grass pollens. Specific IgE to olive pollen was not inhibited by carrot. The existence of monosensitization to an 18-kDa protein in carrot and specific IgE to olive pollen has not been reported in the celery-carrot-mugwort-spice syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Alergia, Clínica Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Curiel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moneo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D003296:Cooking; D018552:Daucus carota; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006636:Histamine Release; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E