Sweat antigen induces histamine release from basophils of patients with cholinergic urticaria associated with atopic diathesis

• Published in: British journal of dermatology (1951) Vol. 160; no. 2; pp. 426 - 428
• Main Authors: Takahagi, S., Tanaka, T., Ishii, K., Suzuki, H., Kameyoshi, Y., Shindo, H., Hide, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2009; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergic diseases; atopic dermatitis; atopic diathesis; Basophils - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; cholinergic urticaria; Dermatitis, Atopic - immunology; Dermatology; Disease Susceptibility - immunology; Female; Histamine Release - immunology; histamine release test; Humans; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Immunopathology; Injuries of the skin. Diseases of the skin due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies; Sweat - immunology; sweat antigen; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Urticaria - etiology; Urticaria - immunology; Young Adult; Human; Allergy; Immunopathology; Skin disease; Dermatology; Cholinergic urticaria; Exploration; sweat antigen; histamine release test; Basophil; Atopy; atopic diathesis; Antigen; Histamine; Association; Atopic dermatitis; Sweat; Release
• ISSN: 0007-0963; 1365-2133
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08862.x

Summary Background  We previously demonstrated that the semipurified human sweat antigen causes skin reactions and histamine release from basophils via specific IgE in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Patients with cholinergic urticaria (ChU) also develop skin reactions and histamine release of basophils in response to autologous sweat. Objectives  To study whether or not patients with ChU share sensitivity for the sweat antigen with patients with AD and to study the clinical characteristics among patients with ChU and the relationship with histamine‐release activity of basophils. Methods  The sweat antigen that induces histamine release from basophils of patients with AD was prepared by Con‐A, anion‐exchange and reverse‐phase chromatography. Relationships between histamine‐release activity against the sweat antigen and clinical features of patients with ChU were analysed. Results  Twenty‐three of 35 patients with ChU showed > 5% net histamine release in response to the semipurified sweat antigen, whereas none of healthy controls did so. In patients with ChU, histamine release in response to semipurified sweat antigen significantly correlated with the level of serum IgE and eosinophil numbers in peripheral blood. Incidence of each atopic disease in patients with ChU tended to be higher than in the general Japanese population. When the patients were categorized according to their responses in the histamine release test, the positive group tended to show a higher incidence of AD and bronchial asthma compared with the negative group. Conclusions  ChU and AD may share hypersensitivity to common antigens in sweat. The sweat allergy and atopic diathesis are associated with each other.