ASTHMA AND CONTACT URTICARIA CAUSED BY RICE IN A HOUSEWIFE

We report the case of an atopic housewife who presented with rhinoconj unctivitis-asthma and contact urticaria from handling rice and other c ereals. She tolerated cooked cereals. Both skin prick tests with a ric e extract (20% w/v) and a rub test with raw rice gave positive results . Bronchial challenge test with methacholine revealed a PC20 of 0.45 m g/ml. The challenge test with raw rice resulted in immediate and late clinical and spirometric responses; pretreatment with DSCG inhibited b oth responses. The histamine release test (HRT) with rice was positive , and we detected rice-specific IgE antibodies by REIA in the patient' s serum. Skin prick tests, HRT, and RAST with a battery of cereals gav e positive results. Finally, the rice REIA was inhibited by rice (75%) , rye (63%), corn (64%), and wheat (51%) extracts.