Abstract
Mastocytosis is a rare disease characterized by an elevated whole body mast cell number. Anaphylaxis is a severe, generalized hypersensitivity reaction with rapid onset. The problem of anaphylaxis and mastocytosis is due to strongly increased mediator release from the elevated mast cell number during allergic reactions. This explains the much higher prevalence of anaphylaxis in mastocytosis than in the general population and its severe and sometimes fatal course. Because of the increased risk of anaphylaxis in mastocytosis, all patients with severe or recurrent anaphylaxis should be analyzed for underlying mastocytosis by estimation of baseline serum tryptase. If this is elevated, patients also should be tested via skin examination for cutaneous mastocytosis and with a bone marrow biopsy. All patients with mastocytosis and anaphylaxis must be instructed about avoiding the responsible elicitors and should carry an emergency kit with adrenaline for self-application. In mastocytosis patients with anaphylaxis due to Hymenoptera stings, venom immunotherapy is recommended for life.
Similar content being viewed by others
References and Recommended Reading
Reimers A, Müller U: Fatal outcome of a Vespula sting in a patient with mastocytosis after specific immunotherapy with honey bee venom. Swiss Med Wkly 2005, 135(Suppl 144):S14.
Müller U, Morris T, Bischof M, et al.: Combined active and passive immunotherapy in honeybee-sting allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1986, 78:115–122.
Johansson SGO, Bieber TH, Dahl R, et al.: Revised nomenclature for allergy for global use: report of the Nomenclature Review Committee of the World Allergy Organization, October 2003. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004, 113:832–836.
Sampson HA, Munoz-Furlong A, Campbell RL, et al.: Second symposium on the definition and management of anaphylaxis: summary report—Second National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network symposium. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2006, 117:391–397.
Pumphrey RSH: Lessons for management of anaphylaxis from a study of fatal reactions. Clin Exp Allergy 2000, 30:1144–1150.
Yocum MW, Butterfield JH, Klein JS, et al.: Epidemiology of anaphylaxis in Olmstead County: a population based study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999, 104:452–456.
Helbling A, Thomas H, Müller U, Pichler WJ: Incidence of anaphylaxis with circulatory symptoms. A study over a 3-year period comprising 940 000 inhabitants of the Swiss Canton Bern. Clin Exp Allergy 2004, 34:285–290.
Bohlke K, Davis RL, DeStefano R, et al.: Epidemiology of anaphylaxis among children and adults enrolled in a health maintenance organization. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004, 113:536–542.
Bresser H, Sandner CH, Rakoski J: Emergencies by insect stings in Munich 1992. Allergo J 2005, 7:373–376.
Peng MM, Jick H: A population based study of the incidence, cause and severity of anaphylaxis in the United Kingdom. Arch Intern Med 2004, 164:317–319.
Monneret-Vautrin DA, Morisset M, Flabee J, et al.: Epidemiology of life-threatening and lethal anaphylaxis: a review. Allergy 2005, 60:443–451.
Valent P, Akin C, Escribano L, et al.: Standards and standardization in mastocytosis: consensus statements on diagnostics, treatment recommendations and response criteria. Eur J Clin Invest 2007, 37:435–453.
Castells MC: Mastocytosis: classification, diagnosis, and clinical presentation. Allergy Asthma Proc 2004, 25:33–36.
Brockow K: Markers of severity for systemic mastocytosis [in German]. Allergo J 2006, 15:273–279.
Greenhawt M, Akin C: Mastocytosis and allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2007, 74:387–392.
Tefferi A, Pardanani A: Systemic mastocytosis: current concepts and treatment advances. Curr Hematol Rep 2004, 3:197–202.
Valent P, Horny HP, Escribano L, et al.: Diagnostic criteria and classification of mastocytosis: a consensus proposal. Leuk Res 2001, 25:603–625.
Wolff K, Komar M, Petzelbauer P: Clinical and histopathological aspects of cutaneous mastocytosis. Leuk Res 2001, 25:519–528.
Hartmann K, Metcalfe DD: Pediatric mastocytosis. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2000, 14:625–640.
Akin C, Metcalfe DD: Systemic mastocytosis. Annu Rev Med 2004, 55:419–432.
Müller U, Helbling A, Hunziker T, et al.: Mastocytosis and atopy: a study in 33 patients with urticaria pigmentosa. Allergy 1990, 45:597–603.
González de Olano D, de la Hoz Caballer B, Núñez López R, et al.: Prevalence of allergy and anaphylactic symptoms in 219 adult and pediatric patients with mastocytosis in Spain: a study of the Spanish network on mastocytosis (REMA). Clin Exp Allergy 2007, 37:1547–1555.
Brockow K, Jofer C, Behrendt H, Ring J: Anaphylaxis in patients with mastocytosis: a study on history, clinical features and risk factors in 120 patients. Allergy 2008, 63:226–232.
Müller U, Horat W, Wüthrich B, et al.: Anaphylaxis after Hymenoptera stings in 3 patients with urticaria pigmentosa. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1983, 72:685–689.
Price LA, Satko M: Bee venom allergy in a patient with urticaria pigmentosa. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1987, 79:407–409.
Kors JW, van Doormaal JJ, de Monchy JGR: Anaphylactoid shock following Hymenoptera sting as a presenting symptom of systemic mastocytosis. J Intern Med 1993, 233:255–258.
Fricker M, Helbling A, Schwartz LB, Müller U: Hymenoptera sting anaphylaxis and urticaria pigmentosa: clinical findings and results of venom immunotherapy in 10 patients. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997, 100:11–15.
Oude Elberink JNG, de Monchy JGR, Kors JW, et al.: Fatal anaphylaxis after a yellow jacket sting in two patients with mastocytosis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997, 99:153–154.
Wagner N, Fritze D, Przybilla B, et al.: Fatal anaphylactic sting reaction in a patient with mastocytosis. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2008, 146:162–163.
Pumphrey RSH, Roberts ISD: Postmortem findings after fatal anaphylactic reactions. J Clin Pathol 2000, 53:273–276.
Dodd NJ, Bond MG: Fatal anaphylaxis in systemic mastocytosis. Clin Pathol 1979, 32:31–34.
Vaughan ST, Jones GN: Systemic mastocytosis presenting as profound cardiovascular collapse during anesthesia. Anaesthesia 1998, 53:804–807.
Florian S, Kraut MT, Simonitch-Klupp I, et al.: Indolent systemic mastocytosis with elevated serum tryptase, absence of skin lesions, and recurrent severe anaphylactoid episodes. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2005, 136:273–280.
Ruëff F, Placzek M, Przybilla B: Mastocytosis and Hymenoptera venom allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2006, 6:284–288.
Schwartz LB, Yunginger JW, Miller J, et al.: Time course of appearance and disappearance of human mast cell tryptase in the circulation after anaphylaxis. J Clin Invest 1989, 83:1551–1555.
Schwartz LB, Bradford TR, Rouse C, et al.: Development of a new, more sensitive immunoassay for human tryptase: use in systemic anaphylaxis. J Clin Immunol 1994, 14:190–204.
Ludolph-Hauser D, Ruëff F, Fries C, et al.: Constitutively raised serum concentrations of mast-cell tryptase and severe anaphylactic reactions to Hymenoptera stings. Lancet 2001, 357:361–362.
Haeberli G, Brönnimann M, Hunziker T, et al.: Elevated basal serum tryptase and hymenoptera venom allergy: relation to severity of sting reactions and to safety and efficacy of venom immunotherapy. Clin Exp Allergy 2003, 33:1216–1220.
Kucharewicz I, Bodzenta-Lukaszyk A, Szymanski W, et al.: Basal serum tryptase level correlates with severity of Hymen optera sting and age. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2007, 17:65–69.
Ruëff F, Bauer M, Placzek M, et al.: Treatment of mastocytosis. Allergologie 2006, 29:362–369.
Escribano L, Akin C, Castells M, Schwartz LB.: Current options in the treatment of mast cell mediator-related symptoms of mastocytosis. Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets 2006, 5:61–67.
Ring J, Brockow K, Duda D, et al.: Emergency treatment of anaphylactic reactions. Allergo J 2007, 16:420–434.
Wolff K: Treatment of cutaneous mastocytosis. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2002, 127:156–159.
González de Olano D, Alvarez-Twose I, Esteban-López MI, et al.: Safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis presenting with Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008, 121:519–526.
Bonadonna P, Zanotti R, Caruso B, et al.: Allergen specific immunotherapy is safe and effective in patients with mastocytosis and Hymenoptera allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008, 121:256–257.
Kontou-Fili K: High omalizumab dose controls recurrent reactions to venom immunotherapy in indolent systemic mastocytosis. Allergy 2008, 63:376–378.
Reimers A, Hari Y, Müller U: Reduction of side effects from ultra-rush immunotherapy with honey bee venom by pre-treatment with fexofenadine: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Allergy 2000, 55:484–488.
Bonifazi F, Jutel M, Bilo BM, et al.: Prevention and treatment of Hymenoptera venom allergy. Allergy 2005, 60:1459–1470.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Müller, U.R., Haeberli, G. The problem of anaphylaxis and mastocytosis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 9, 64–70 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-009-0010-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-009-0010-9