HYPERSENSITIVITY TO CARROT ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC IGE TO GRASS AND TREE POLLENS

This study deals with a 34-year-old female cook with no previous histo ry of atopy, who was studied because of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis a nd contact urticaria in both hands associated with severe itching when she handled raw carrot. The patient had had anaphylactic episodes aft er accidental ingestion of raw carrots, but she tolerated cooked carro ts. Skin prick tests with carrot, celery, and olive, and birch, grass, and mugwort pollens were positive. Total IgE was 411 UI/ml. Specific IgE to olive, grass, and weed pollens were 10.92, 6.17, and 2.4 AU/ml, respectively. The histamine release test was positive for carrot, cel ery, celeriac, and olive pollen up to a dilution of 1/10(6). Immunoblo t of raw carrot showed a single IgE-binding 18-kDa band. IgE reactivit y for raw carrot immunoblot was completely inhibited by carrot and by celery, but not by olive or grass pollens. Specific IgE to olive polle n was not inhibited by carrot. The existence of monosensitization to a n 18-kDa protein in carrot and specific IgE to olive pollen has not be en reported in the celery-carrot-mugwort-spice syndrome.