A case of kawasaki disease in an adult / 천식및알레르기

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute vasculitis of undetermined etiology in infancy and early childhood. There is no diagnostic test to confirm this disease and its diagnosis is made on clinical backgrounds. Most patients diagnosed are under 4 years of age. Here, we report a case of KD in an adult presented with clinical features of fever, headache, and skin rash. A 26-year-old male was presented with fever and headache of four days' duration and skin rash of three days' duration. Nausea and vomiting developed and the patient was treated with antibiotics under the impression of aseptic meningitis and became afebrile two days later. Laboratory findings revealed thrombocytosis, atypical lymphocytes, and elevated liver enzymes. Kawasaki disease was diagnosed, and intravenous immunoglobulin and low-dose aspirin (200mg/d) was administered. Echocardiogram did not reveal any coronary artery changes and the skin lesions disappeared. The patient was discharged after near normalization of the liver enzymes and is now being followed at our clinic.

Occupational asthma and rhinitis caused by curry powder / 천식및알레르기

Curry powder is widely used in various dishes. It is a mixture of 20-50 kinds of natural spices made from the leaves and seeds of plants. Although there have been some reports of allergy caused by inhalation of spices in western countries, while there are no reports of occupational allergy caused by spices in our country. We report a patient with rhinitis and asthma induced by exposure to spice dusts in a curry industry. A 32-year-old man developed rhinorrhea, sneezing and coughing three years prior to visiting our hospital. Since 10 years ago, he has been involved in grinding and mixing spices in a curry industry. Total peripheral eosinophil count was 400/mm3 and serum total IgE level was 163 IU/ml. Allergy skin-prick test showed positive responses to mugwort (3+), D. farinae (3+) and celery (3+), while serum specific IgE detected by RIA (DPC, LA, CA) showed all negative results. Skin-prick test to four kinds of spice extractscelery seed, fennel, cumin and coriander-showed strong positive responses. Bronchoprovocation test with celery seed extract (1:10 v/v) showed an early asthmatic response. Specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies to celery seed and the other three spices were detectable by ELISA. IgE-ELISA inhibition test using each spice antigen showed significant inhibitions. In conclusion, IgE-mediated mechanism may be involved in the pathogenesis of curry powder-induced bronchoconstriction in an exposed worker. Further studies will be needed to investigate the role of specific IgG4 in pathogenesis of bronchoconstriction in curry powder-induced asthma.

Clinical significance of skin test and specific IgE measurement for the prediction of immediate type hypersensitivity reaction to horse antithymocyte globulin / 천식및알레르기

BACKGROUND: Horse antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is a useful treatment for aplastic anemia and for bone marrow transplantation from HLA-mismatched donors. Mortality due to anaphylactic reaction to horse ATG has been reported. We evaluated the clinical significance of skin test and specific IgE measurement for the prediction of immediate type hypersensitivity reaction to horse ATG. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 25 patients who received horse ATG. Underlying diseases of the 25 patients included aplastic anemia (n=20), leukemia (n=3), lymphoma (n=1), and Gaucher's disease (n=1). Skin prick test was done on these patients using undiluted ATG solution (Upjohn, USA) with duplication. Specific IgE to ATG was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: Skin prick test was positive in 7 (28%) of 25 patients. None of the patients showing negative skin prick test experienced immediate type hypersensitivity reaction to ATG. All patients showing positive skin prick test received desensitization before the administration of a full dose of ATG. However, 3 of 7 patients showing positive skin prick test experienced immediate type hypersensitivity reaction; one of them died of anaphylaxis. Specific IgE measurement using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was not useful in predicting immediate type hypersensitivity reaction to ATG because of nonspecific bindings. Specific IgE measurement using immunoblot analysis was only positive in the one patient who died of anaphylaxis. CONCLUSION: Skin prick test was clinically useful in the prediction of immediate type hypersensitivity reaction to horse ATG, but specific IgE measurement was not. Further studies might be needed to develop an in vitro test for the prediction of immediate type hypersensitivity reaction to horse ATG.

Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin in a case of adult onset Still's disease / 천식및알레르기

Adult onset Stills Disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by spiking high fevers, arthritis, and an evanescent rash. Although many patients respond to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroid, some patients fail to do so or are found to be resistant and require high doses of corticosteroid which induce severe side effects. Recently, treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been reported to be effective in patients with AOSD who were refractory to NSAIDs. Here, we report a case of AOSD treated with IVIG with a review of the literature.

A case of acquired angioedema with C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency / 천식및알레르기

Angioedema is a well-demarcated localized edema involving the deeper layers of the skin, including the subcutaneous tissue. Angioedema occurs with Cl esterase inhibitor (Cl INH) deficiency that may be inborn as an autosomal dominant characteristic or may be acquired. Acquired angioedema (AAE) is a rare disorder characterized by adult onset and lack of evidence of inheritance of the disease. Two types of AAE are known today: type I in which there are lowering of functional Cl INH, an underlying disease such as a B-cell disease, and no detectable autoantibodies to Cl INH, type II with anti Cl INH autoantibodies in the circulation without detectable underlying disease and with depressed functional Cl INH levels. We experienced a case of angioedema in a 29-year old man. He had no family history of angioedema and laboratory data showed depressed Cl-INH levels. We diagnosed the case as acquired type of angioedema. Even though we could not measure anti-Cl INH auto-antibodies, we identified the case as type II because there was no evidence of underlying disease.