Zacharisen Michael C, Levy Michael B, Shaw Jeffrey L, Kurup Viswanath P
Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Clin Mol Allergy. 2005 Oct 27;3:14. doi: 10.1186/1476-7961-3-14.
Allergic sensitization and reactions to guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) have been well documented in laboratory animal handlers, primarily manifesting as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. Severe allergic reactions, however, are rare.
We report two patients with severe allergic reactions following non-occupational exposure to guinea pigs. The first patient, an 11-year-old female, developed ocular, nasal, skin and laryngeal edema symptoms immediately after handling a guinea pig. The second patient, a 24-year-old female, developed symptoms of isolated laryngeal edema after cleaning a guinea pig cage. Percutaneous skin testing, RAST, ELISA and ELISA inhibition testing with guinea pig extract were performed.
Both patients had IgE-mediated allergy to guinea pig confirmed by ELISA and either RAST or skin testing. ELISA inhibition studies confirmed the specificity of the IgE reactivity to guinea pig.
Severe IgE-mediated reactions can occur following non-occupational guinea pig exposure. Physicians should be aware of this possibility.
在实验动物饲养员中，对豚鼠（豚鼠属）的过敏致敏和反应已有充分记录，主要表现为鼻炎、结膜炎和哮喘。然而，严重过敏反应很少见。
我们报告了两名非职业性接触豚鼠后发生严重过敏反应的患者。第一名患者是一名11岁女性，在接触豚鼠后立即出现眼部、鼻部、皮肤和喉部水肿症状。第二名患者是一名24岁女性，在清洁豚鼠笼后出现孤立性喉部水肿症状。进行了豚鼠提取物的皮肤点刺试验、放射性变应原吸附试验（RAST）、酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）和ELISA抑制试验。
通过ELISA以及RAST或皮肤试验证实，两名患者均对豚鼠有IgE介导的过敏反应。ELISA抑制研究证实了IgE对豚鼠反应性的特异性。
非职业性接触豚鼠后可能发生严重的IgE介导反应。医生应意识到这种可能性。
