title: Anaphylactic shock caused by exposure to sea anemones.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the first report of a dog that developed severe systemic symptoms in response to a second injection of sea anemone toxin by Richet and Portier in 1902, no clear human cases of anaphylaxis related to exposure to sea anemones has been reported in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 24-year-old man with an episode of local urticaria on his first contact with a sea anemone (Stichodactyla haddoni), developed dyspnea, severe urticaria and hypotension on exposure to water containing the dead bodies of the organism. To study whether this reaction was mediated by antigen-specific IgE, we performed a histamine release test with blood, Western blotting with serum and lymphocyte proliferating test with peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the patient, for the homogenate of sea anemones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The homogenate of sea anemones induced histamine release from the blood of the patient, but it also induced histamine release from the blood of control subjects. Moreover, it also caused hemolysis of blood of all donors. However, Western-blotting demonstrated the presence of an 86 kd protein-specific IgE in the serum of the patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protein antigen(s) in sea anemones may cause anaphylactic shock under the influence of the cytolytic effects and/or lymphocyte-stimulating activity elicited by the toxin of sea anemones.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology and Molecular Respirology, Department of Multidisciplinary Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, Japan. nanamon@theia.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hide
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sairenji
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012615:Sea Anemones / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E