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Ineffectiveness of Skin Tests in Predicting Allergic Reactions Induced by Chinese Herbal Injections

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Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether skin tests are suitable to predict the allergy reactions induced by Chinese herbal injections (CHIs).

Methods

The skin tests including skin prick tests (SPT), intradermal tests (IDT) and provocation tests including subcutaneous tests and intravenous tests were administered to 249 healthy subjects and 180 allergic patients for 3 CHIs, including ginkgolide injection, diterpene ginkgolide meglumine injection and Salvianolate lyophilized injection. The results of the provocation tests were used as the “gold standard” to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the skin tests.

Results

The results did not show any significant differences between the healthy and allergy groups in both skin tests and provocation tests (P>0.05). The specificities of SPT and IDT were 0.976 and 0.797, respectively, and the sensitivities of both SPT and IDT were 0.

Conclusion

Skin tests are insufficient to predict the likelihood of allergic reactions resulting from CHIs. (ChiCTR-CPC-15006921)

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank everyone who volunteered to participate in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300250, China

    Chun-xiao Lyu, Bao-he Wang, Yan-fen Li & Yu-hong Huang

  2. Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Evidence-Based Medicine Centre, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300250, China

    Jun-hua Zhang

  3. Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300250, China

    Bo-li Zhang

  4. State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin, 300250, China

    Chang-xiao Liu

Authors
  1. Chun-xiao Lyu
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  2. Jun-hua Zhang
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  4. Bo-li Zhang
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  5. Chang-xiao Liu
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  6. Yan-fen Li
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  7. Yu-hong Huang
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Contributions

Lyu CX and Huang YH wrote the manuscript; Zhang JH, Wang BH, Zhang BL and Liu CX designed the research; Li YF and Huang YH performed the research; Lyu CX and Huang YH analyzed the data. All authors approved the final version for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu-hong Huang.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Supported by National Major Science and Technology Projects of China (No. 2012ZX09303010-001, No. 2018ZX09734-002)

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Lyu, Cx., Zhang, Jh., Wang, Bh. et al. Ineffectiveness of Skin Tests in Predicting Allergic Reactions Induced by Chinese Herbal Injections. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 28, 36–42 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-3523-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-3523-2

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