Anaphylaxis to Hippobosca equina (louse fly).
BACKGROUND
IgE-mediated allergy to insects different from Hymenoptera species is seldom reported.


OBJECTIVE
To describe and study the case of a previously nonatopic man with an anaphylactic reaction (grade III, Müeller) caused by a bite from a louse fly (Hippobosca equina).


METHODS
In vivo (skin prick tests) and in vitro (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblotting) tests were used for diagnosis. Cross-reactivity between H. equina and different insects was investigated.


RESULTS
Results of skin prick tests and serum specific IgE were positive to H. equina. Immunoblot inhibition studies identified common bands in H. equina, Apis mellífera, and Musca domestica, but this cross-reactivity did not affect a band of 16 or 15 kDa. This molecular weight is similar to that of phospholipase A2 in A mellifera venom.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe a case of IgE-mediated allergy to H. equina in which specific molecular band proteins seemed to be responsible for the reaction.
Vidal
Carmen
C
Allergy Service, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. carmen.vidal.pan@sergas.es
Armisén
Margarita
M
Bartolomé
Borja
B
Rodriguez
Virginia
V
Luna
Ildefonso
I
D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D001180:Arthropod Venoms / Q000276:immunology; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000276:immunology; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D004175:Diptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology*; D006793:Houseflies / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests
D001180:Arthropod Venoms; D001514:Bee Venoms; D045424:Complex Mixtures; D007073:Immunoglobulin E