Allergy to bovine
meat and Bovine
serum albumin (BSA)
is exceptional,
especially in the
adult life. BSA is
considered a minor
allergen in cows
milk allergy, but
there is little
information about
this antigen in
reactions produced
by other beef
products as meat.
To our knowledge,
evolutive studies of
beefs allergic
patients have not
been reported.
Objective. To
present one patient
with several
allergic reactions
(urticaria-angioedema)
after eating
different mammals
meat.
Methods. The
patient underwent
allergy testing
through skin prick
test (SPT), specific
IgE detection and
SDSPAGE
Immunoblotting and
Immunodot inhibition
studies. Periodic
determinations of
specific IgE to
meats and epithelia
were performed.
Results. Routine
studies for chronic
urticaria were
normal or negative.
SPT showed positive
responses to pork,
cow, rabbit and lamb
meat, and dog, pork,
sheep and cow
epithelia. It was
negative to cat,
horse, guinea pig,
rabbit, lamb, mouse
epithelia, mixture
of feathers, cow
milk, soybean,
mustard, mites and
chicken meat and
Anisakis simplex.
Intradermal testing
to BSA was positive.
Determinations of
specific IgE were
positive to beef
meat, lamb meat,
pork meat and rabbit
meat, dog, cat, cow,
sheep and pork
dander, cows milk,
and negative to
chicken meat.
Immunoblot and
immunodot studies
showed IgE
recognition bands to
bovine and lamb meat
which were totally
inhibited by BSA. A
progressive
reduction of the
total and specific
IgE, the latter
until its total
negativization, has
been observed in the
following three-year
period.
Conclusions. We
report a case of
IgE-mediated
urticaria-angioedema
due to BSA
hypersensitivity,
possibly induced by
a subclinical
sensitivity to dog
and cat epithelium.
The exclusion diet
in patients allergic
to these foods may
be a progressive
loss of clinical
allergy.
Key words: beef,
BSA allergy,
urticaria-angioedema. |