title: An oral challenge test with carmine red (E120) in skin prick test positive patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positive skin prick test reactions to carmine red (E120) occur in approximately 3% of the patients studied for food allergy. Carmine ingestion associated systemic symptoms are occasionally suspected, but sufficient information of proven carmine allergy is not available.
  
  
  METHODS
  To analyse carmine related symptoms in skin prick test positive patients a cohort of 23 patients with suspected allergy to carmine red was subjected to a single-blind placebo-controlled oral challenge test with carmine red.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients developed clinical symptoms during the placebo-controlled oral challenge. As a result, the overall frequency of clinical carmine allergy is estimated to be 0.7% in general dermatology patients studied for food-associated symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral challenge test provides a valuable in vivo tool to better inform patients with positive skin prick tests to additives to avoid false allergy diets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy Unit, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Hämeentie 11, P.O. Box 52, 20520 Turku, Finland. Phone: +358-2-313 1644 E-mail:jussi.liippo@utu.fi.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liippo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy Unit, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lammintausta
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002329:Carmine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007428:Intradermal Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D002329:Carmine
keywords: Carmine red (E120); IgE-mediated allergy; food additive; single-blind placebo-controlled oral challenge test; skin prick test