ABSTRACT
Allergic reactions to anti-Pseudomonal penicillin derivatives are an increasing problem in therapy of cystic fibrosis lung disease. We evaluated 15 patients, ages 12 to 37 years, with documented allergic reactions to carbenicillin, ticarcillin, or piperacillin. Intradermal skin test reactions were positive for benzylpenicillin in seven patients, penicilloyl-polylysine in one, and ticarcillin or piperacillin in eight, for a total of 11 of 11 tested. Results of radioallergosorbent testing to penicilloyl conjugates were positive in eight of 14 patients and equivocal in four others. Overall, skin tests or RAST results were positive in 13 of 15 patients. All patients were desensitized with a semisynthetic penicillin by continuous serial intravenous infusion of 10-fold dose increments, beginning with 10(-6) of the therapeutic dose. Desensitization was successful in 25 of 26 instances. After intravenously administered therapy, maintenance of desensitization with dicloxacillin orally was unsuccessful in four of six patients. We conclude that (1) allergy to semisynthetic penicillins in cystic fibrosis usually is IgE mediated; (2) such allergy can be evaluated by skin testing; (3) it can be safely and in most cases successfully treated by intravenous desensitization; and (4) allergic patients should be desensitized on each subsequent admission for intravenously administered therapy.
Subject(s)
Cystic Fibrosis/drug therapy , Drug Hypersensitivity/etiology , Penicillins/adverse effects , Pseudomonas Infections/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Benzeneacetamides , Carbenicillin/adverse effects , Carbenicillin/therapeutic use , Child , Drug Hypersensitivity/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Intradermal Tests , Male , Penicillanic Acid/adverse effects , Penicillanic Acid/therapeutic use , Penicillin G/adverse effects , Penicillin G/therapeutic use , Penicillins/therapeutic use , Piperacillin/adverse effects , Piperacillin/therapeutic use , Polylysine/adverse effects , Polylysine/analogs & derivatives , Polylysine/therapeutic use , Radioallergosorbent Test , Ticarcillin/adverse effects , Ticarcillin/therapeutic useABSTRACT
We studied the incidence and levels of circulating immune complexes by the 125I-Clq-binding assay in patients with cystic fibrosis in relation to clinical respiratory status and specific IgG and IgE antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans. Overall prevalence of CIC was 43%, but 86% of serially studied patients had evidence of CIC at some time. Patients with acute respiratory exacerbations and deteriorating pulmonary function had a higher incidence of CIC (76%) as compared to stable patients (36%, P less than 0.01), as well as significantly higher levels of CIC. Acute exacerbations were also associated with significant increases in IgG antibody to Pseudomonas (P less than 0.005) but not in other antibodies. CIC did not correlate with Pseudomonas-specific IgG nor with any other specific antibody studied. A variety of age-related differences in specific antibody levels were seen. The episodic appearance of CIC is common in CF and is usually associated with exacerbation of lung disease.