A Case of Immediate Hypersensitivity Reaction to Maltitol

Background. Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is frequently used as a noncaloric sweetener, although it is also used as an excipient, a plasticizer in gelatin capsules, and an emollient. It has not been previously described as an agent involved in immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Methods. We rep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Case reports in medicine 2017-01, Vol.2017 (2017), p.1-4
Main Authors: Trabado, Ana Rodriguez, Hijon, Carmen Camara, Pereira, Luis Miguel Fernandez, Garcia-Trujillo, Jose Antonio, Trascon, Irene Magriz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allergens
Anaphylaxis
Antigens
Archives & records
Asthma
Candy
Care and treatment
Case Report
Case reports
Case studies
Coffee
Diagnosis
Drug allergy
Gelatin
Hypersensitivity (immediate)
Immunoglobulins
Immunology
Laboratories
Occlusion
Pharynx
Powder
Proteins
Risk factors
Sugar
Syrups
Thyroid gland
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Summary:Background. Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is frequently used as a noncaloric sweetener, although it is also used as an excipient, a plasticizer in gelatin capsules, and an emollient. It has not been previously described as an agent involved in immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Methods. We report on an anaphylactoid reaction with pharyngeal occlusion suffered by a 60-year-old man after ingestion of a candy containing maltitol syrup. A prick-to-prick test was performed with the candy and maltitol powder. Other allergens were excluded as causative agents of the adverse reaction, although the patient refused to undergo an oral challenge test with the candy. A basophil activation test (BAT) was performed with maltitol powder, and a dose-response curve was generated. The test was also performed in 3 healthy controls. Results. Both prick-to-prick tests were negative. The result of the BAT was positive at all the concentrations tested in the patient’s blood and negative in all the controls. Conclusions. The BAT can help to clarify the agents implicated in an adverse reaction and can reduce the risk involved in diagnosis. The BAT can also prove useful in the study of reactions caused by low-molecular-weight antigens, for which routine diagnostic tests are not feasible.
ISSN:1687-9627
1687-9635
DOI:10.1155/2017/2127167