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IgE antibody-dependent and IgE-independent release of histamine in patients with anaphylactoid reactions to neuromuscular blockers

  • Plenary Lecture
  • Symposium on Histamine and Antihistamine in Anaesthesia and Surgery (ii) Mechanisms of Histamine Release in Anaesthesia and Surgery
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Abstract

Anaphylactoid reactions (AR) to neuromuscular blockers (NMB), the most common cause of AR during general anaesthesia, are caused by the release of histamine and other mediators and can be detected by histamine from blood basophilsin vitro [1, 2]. They are at least partly mediated by IgE antibodies (i.e. truly anaphylactic) and, therefore, the detection of IgE antibodies by variants of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is of diagnostic value in AR. This, however, does not rule out IgE-antibody-independent mechanisms, either immune (IgG subclass, complement, etc) or non-immune, evidence of which is discussed in this paper.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacology Dept., University College London, WC1, London, UK

    E. S. K. Assem

  2. University College Hospital, WC1, London, UK

    E. S. K. Assem

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  1. E. S. K. Assem
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Assem, E.S.K. IgE antibody-dependent and IgE-independent release of histamine in patients with anaphylactoid reactions to neuromuscular blockers. Agents and Actions 36 (Suppl 2), C206–C210 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01997335

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01997335

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