Type I allergy induced by Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL).

During the last few years Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) has been extensively used to detect minimal amounts of endotoxins of Gram-negative bacteria in products of the pharmaceutical industry, in food stuff, body fluids, house dust and room air. LAL is produced from cells of the haemolymph (amoebocytes) of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), which respond with an extremely sensitive clotting system upon contact with endotoxins. In this study we demonstrate by typical case history, positive skin test and ELISA the occurrence of Type I allergy to LAL in a patient suffering from conjunctivitis and rhinitis at work.