Anaphylaxis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anaphylaxis, including details on food allergies, diagnosis, treatment, causes.

Successful treatment of cold-induced urticaria/anaphylaxis with anti-IgE.

Boyce JA

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. jboyce@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

A case of a girl who presented at age 12 years with idiopathic cold urticaria is described. Her reactions to the cold became progressively more severe over a period of approximately 2 years, despite therapy with H1 antagonists and a type 1 receptor for cysteinyl leukotrienes receptor antagonist. She began to experience systemic symptoms on immersion in ocean water. She was atopic and had moderate persistent asthma. A trial of anti-IgE resulted in complete resolution of her urticaria and its associated manifestations. These findings should prompt a reexamination of the potential pathogenetic role played by IgE and its high-affinity receptor on mast cells in idiopathic cold urticaria.

Published 5 June 2006 in J Allergy Clin Immunol, 117(6): 1415-8.
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