[Use of the granulocytic myeloperoxidase release reaction to diagnose food additive allergies].

Adverse reactions to food additives are difficult to diagnose due to the diversity of mechanisms involved in their realization and to the absence of reasonably reliable methods for their determination. Eighty-three patients with allergic diseases were examined using the granulocytic myeloperoxidase release reaction (MRR) to diagnose intolerance reactions to food additives (E102, E122, E124, E132, E110, E2111). MRR revealed leukocyte hypersensitivity to tartrazine in 10.8%, sunset yellow in 4.8%, ponceau in 13.2%, indigo carmine in 8.4%, carmoisine and benzoate in 9.6%. The findings were correlated with history data and the levels of IgE antibodies to these dyes. The practical use of the proposed MRR method makes it possible to enhance the accuracy of diagnosis of allergy to food additives.