Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0042109 (urticaria)
 6,569 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There are thousands of agents that are intentionally added to the food that we consume. These include preservatives, stabilizers, conditioners, thickeners, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners, antioxidants, etc. etc. Yet only a surprisingly small number have been associated with hypersensitivity reactions. Amongst all the additives, FD&C dyes have been most frequently associated with adverse reactions. Tartrazine is the most notorious of them all; however, critical review of the medical literature and current Scripps Clinic studies would indicate that tartrazine has been confirmed to be at best only occasionally associated with flares of urticaria or asthma. There is no convincing evidence in the literature of reactivity to the other azo or nonazo dyes. This can also be said of BHA/BHT, nitrites/nitrates and sorbates. Parabens have been shown to elicit IgE mediated hypersensitivity reactions when used as pharmaceutical preservatives; however, as with the other additives noted above, ingested parabens have only occasionally been associated with adverse reactions. MSG, the cause of the 'Chinese restaurant syndrome' has only been linked to asthma in one report. Sulfiting agents used primarily as food fresheners and to control microbial growth in fermented beverages have been established as the cause of any where from mild to severe and even fatal reactions in at least 5% of the asthmatic population. Other reactions reported to follow sulfite ingestion include anaphylaxis, gastro intestinal complaints and dermatological eruptions. The prevalence of these non asthmatic reactions is unknown. The mechanism of sulfite sensitive asthma is also unknown but most likely involves hyperreactivity to inhale SO2 in the great majority of cases; however, there are reports of IgE mediated reactions and other sulfite sensitive asthmatics have been found with low levels of sulfite oxidase; necessary to oxidize endogenous sulfite to sulfate.
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PMID:Adverse reactions to food additives. 330 64

Since the introduction of sodium metabisulfite as a food preservative, it has been associated with several idiosyncratic reactions (eg, bronchospasm, oculonasal symptoms, and urticaria/angioedema) in sulfite-sensitive individuals. The pathogenic mechanism of these reactions is not yet understood. We report the case of two crewmen on a shrimp trawler who were found dead in the ship's hold. Their deaths had occurred while they were applying dry sodium metabisulfite, referred to as "shrimp dip" in the shrimping industry. Postmortem examinations showed diffuse pulmonary edema consistent with death secondary to asphyxia. Associated findings were visceral congestion. Although it is possible to measure death from sodium metabisulfite with available records, its potential morbidity cannot be estimated. It is known that sodium metabisulfite can react with acids and water, releasing toxic sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas. In addition, SO2 gas reacts with respiratory tissue forming sulfureous acid, and inducing a pulmonary reaction causing hypoxemia. Furthermore, sodium metabisulfite, compared with sodium bisulfite, has a much greater propensity to release SO2 gas. We conclude that there is a need for improved education regarding the potential side effects of sodium metabisulfite, thus eliminating needless occupational morbidity and mortality.
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PMID:Sodium metabisulfite and SO2 release: an under-recognized hazard among shrimp fishermen. 826 51

Kawaguchi and Hatogaya City are located on the northern edge of Tokyo. We analysed between air pollution and prevalence rate of allergic diseases among elementary school children in this area. A prevalence rate of allergic diseases in 1996 May and June was as follows; bronchial asthma 13.5%, atopic dermatitis 24.5%, allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis 22.8%, urticaria 12.4%, food allergy 7.8% and drug allergy 2.2%, respectively. Air pollution of this area was analysed to check the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and suspended particulate matters (SPM). NO2 pollution was relatively high in urban area, and SPM pollution was especially high around the highways. SO2 pollution was lower than the environmental standard. No relationship was found between the prevalence rate of bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis and air pollution, but it was found that these diseases are slightly related to population density (p < 0.1, p < 0.01, p < 0.1, respectively).
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PMID:[Analysis of air pollution and prevalence rate of allergic diseases among elementary school children in Kawaguchi and Hatogaya city]. 989 36