Anaphylaxis in response to edible mushrooms is uncommon, and sensitization may be independent of occupational exposure. Globally, Agaricus bisporus is one the most cultivated mushroom species, comprising the button, portobello, and Swiss brown varietals.
Our aim was to describe a case of anaphylaxis in an older nonatopic patient following ingestion of A bisporus and undertake a review of the literature.
A 77-year-old female was referred to the allergy clinic with a history of grade 3 hypotensive anaphylaxis following ingestion of a mushroom omelette. Her tryptase level 4 hours following acute symptoms was elevated. She continued to consume all other omelette ingredients with the exception of mushroom. Additional investigations included specific IgE testing as well as comprehensive skin prick testing (SPT) to raw and boiled mushrooms.
One month after her index reaction, the result of SPT to boiled button mushroom was positive. The patient’s baseline tryptase level was normal. The results of further SPT with other commonly available boiled mushrooms (the A bisporus mushrooms portobello and Swiss brown, as well as enoki, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms) were also positive.
A review of the literature revealed 27 other cases, with an average patient age of 28.8 years (range 8-68 years) and no gender predisposition. Cases from Europe (n = 14, 51.8%) and Asia (n = 12, 44.4%) comprised the majority of the reports. A bisporus was reported in more than one-third of the cases (n = 10, 37.1%) from Australia, India, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Cross-sensitization among the edible mushroom species was evident for those individuals who were tested, but no clear and consistent pattern was identified. In some cases, further diagnostics identified α-mannosidase, α-trehalose, mannitol, and ribosomal protein as specific mushroom allergens.
Clinicians should be aware of mushroom as a cause for anaphylaxis, especially in nonatopic and de novo presentations.
An episode of the common cold can have a significant negative impact on quality of life, mood, and daily activities. In line with this fact, there is a growing demand for health care and treatments associated with the common cold. Current treatments aim to (1) inhibit symptom severity and (2) shorten the duration of an episode of the common cold. These products include analgesics, antihistamines, and decongestants. In addition, various supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and herbs, are marketed to treat the common cold. The current products marketed for treating the common cold may reduce the severity of some (but not all) common cold symptoms, but they usually do not shorten the common cold episode. The recent indication that phenylephrine is not effective means that it will ultimately need to be removed from the over-the-counter monograph. Manufacturers will consequently need to reformulate their products and withdraw oral phenylephrine-containing products. Several newly developed common cold products are currently under investigation. These clinical trials should evaluate their efficacy and safety, as there remains a clear need for common cold products that significantly reduce both the symptom severity and the duration of episodes of the common cold.
Daratumumab-based treatment could control severe, treatment-refractory, life-threatening angioedema due to acquired C1-inhibitor deficiency associated with monoclonal gammopathy.
Soy-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis is likely underdiagnosed and potentially on the rise. As soy gains popularity in Western diets, we highlight it as a hidden allergen in a variety of processed foods, including those marketed toward exercise enthusiasts.
Dupilumab-induced psoriatic dermatitis and arthritis in a patient with atopic dermatitis were effectively managed with upadacitinib, highlighting the use of Janus kinase inhibitors as a possible treatment for biologic therapy side effects.
Penicillin-associated exanthems in the setting of infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are often viewed as a transient event, not a true allergy. Recent evidence challenges this and suggests that a notable subset of patients retain penicillin hypersensitivity.
We investigated the occurrence and predictors of persistent adulthood hypersensitivity in those with penicillin-associated rash occurring in the setting of EBV infection.
Retrospective analysis of data of patients referred for penicillin allergy testing to an Australian tertiary-care hospital captured from 2015 to 2023 was carried out.
Of 2066 patients, 23 (1%) had penicillin-associated rash during an historic EBV infection; 16 (70%) were female; and median (interquartile range) age was 18 (16-20) years at index reaction and 38 (33.5-57) years at allergy testing. Skin prick testing and delayed intradermal testing to a penicillin panel were performed, followed by oral provocation challenge in those testing negative. Persistent sensitization was shown in 6 (26%) of 23; 4 (67%) of 6 positive delayed intradermal testing; and 3 (50%) of 6 had positive oral challenge test. Notably, 5 (83%) of 6 had a severe maculopapular exanthem with facial swelling, including 2 (33%) of 6 with probable drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (aka DRESS) during the index reaction, compared to 0 of 17 in patients tolerating penicillin on reexposure.
This study highlights the requirement of allergy testing in adult patients reporting a penicillin-associated severe maculopapular exanthem in the setting of EBV, even if it occurred during childhood or adolescence.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic eczematous skin disease with severe pruritus. Several new therapeutic agents for AD such as dupilumab, an anti–IL-4Rα antibody, have been developed in recent years. We need to predict which agent is the best choice for each patient, but this remains difficult.
Our aim was to examine clinical background factors and baseline biomarkers that could predict the achievement of improved clinical outcomes in patients with AD treated with dupilumab.
A multicenter, prospective observational study was conducted on 110 patients with AD. The Eczema Area and Severity Index was used as an objective assessment, and the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure and Numerical Rating Scale for Pruritus were used as patient-reported outcomes. In addition, some clinical background factors were evaluated.
The achievement of an absolute Eczema Area and Severity Index of 7 or less was negatively associated with current comorbidity of food allergy and baseline serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. There were negative associations between achievement of a Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure score of 7 or less and duration of severe AD and between achievement of an itching Numerical Rating Scale for Pruritus score of 1 or less and current comorbidity of allergic conjunctivitis or baseline serum periostin level. Furthermore, signal detection analysis showed that a baseline serum LDH level less than 328 U/L could potentially be used as a cutoff value for predicting the efficacy of dupilumab.
Baseline biomarkers such as LDH and periostin and clinical background factors such as current comorbidity of food allergy and a long period of severe disease may be useful indicators when choosing dupilumab for systemic treatment for AD, as they can predict the efficacy of dupilumab.
Systemic mastocytosis (SM), a rare condition affecting about 32,000 individuals in the United States, is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed owing to its nonspecific symptoms and the need for invasive biopsies.
Our aim was to identify, classify, and characterize the natural history of patients with SM.
In a retrospective cohort study, administrative data from a large managed care organization was used to identify patients with confirmed SM, based on World Health Organization criteria. Demographic data, delay to diagnosis, disease progression, and health care resource utilization were examined.
Of 116 patients with confirmed SM, 77% had indolent SM, 2% had smoldering SM, 12% had SM with associated hematologic neoplasm, 9% had aggressive SM, and none had mast cell leukemia. In all, 5 patients were misclassified as having a less advanced SM subtype initially and 3 were completely undiagnosed (missed diagnosis). The average delay to diagnosis of SM was 58.3 plus or minus 73.1 months. In all, 18% of patients progressed from a nonadvanced form of SM (indolent or smoldering SM) to an advanced form of SM (aggressive SM, SM with associated hematologic neoplasm, or mast cell leukemia) over an average of 88.3 plus or minus 82.7 months. Patients with SM had increased health care utilization, including increases in their numbers of hospital admissions, emergency room visits, urgent care visits, and specialty provider visits, after diagnosis versus before.
Rare diseases such as SM would benefit from increased understanding and awareness to improve diagnostic accuracy. Prospective studies are needed to better characterize this patient population and determine the type of follow-up needed to recognize advanced forms of SM so that appropriate treatment can be implemented.