title: [Allergy to macrolide antibiotics. Review of the literature].
abstract: MACROLIDE CLASSES: Macrolides are characterized by their basic structure made up of a lactonic cycle with 2 osidic chains. They are classified according to the number of carbon atoms in the cycle: 14-membered macrolides (erythromycin, troleandomycin, roxithromycin, dirithromycin, clarithromycin), 15-membered macrolides (azithromycin) and 16-membered macrolides (spiramycin, josamycin, midecamycin). MACROLIDE ALLERGY: Allergy to macrolides is extremely rare (0.4% to 3% of treatments). The little information available in the literature is insufficient to establish the usefulness of diagnostic tests. An immediate IgE-dependent hypersensitivity has been shown with erythromycin in some cases but the mechanism remains unknown and skin tests are quite often negative. Clinical manifestations are the same as those encountered with beta-lactams. It would appear that macrolide allergies are unlikely to be class allergies. This is important as eviction advice could be limited to the single causal macrolide.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U454-IFR3, Hôpital Amaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier. demoly@montp.inserm.fr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demoly
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benahmed
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valembois
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahla
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Messaad
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godard
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bousquet
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D018942:Macrolides
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D007073:Immunoglobulin E