Beef-induced anaphylaxis confirmed by the basophil activation test

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Allergy diagnostics
• Food hypersensitivity

Background:

• Beef allergies are uncommon, with varied clinical presentations including urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis, and gastrointestinal issues.
• Conventional diagnostic methods like skin prick tests and serum specific IgE testing often lack accuracy for beef allergy.
• The basophil activation test (BAT) is an emerging tool for diagnosing food allergies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of suspected beef allergy in an adult patient.
• To evaluate the utility of the basophil activation test (BAT) in diagnosing a potential non-immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated beef allergy.
• To highlight the potential of BAT as a complementary diagnostic method for food allergies.

Main Methods:

• A case study involving a 37-year-old woman with recurrent symptoms after beef ingestion.
• Standard allergy testing including skin prick tests and serum specific IgE to beef, pork, and milk.
• Basophil activation test (BAT) measuring CD203c upregulation in response to beef allergen.

Main Results:

• Standard allergy tests yielded negative results for beef-specific IgE.
• The basophil activation test (BAT) demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in CD203c expression, indicating basophil activation by beef allergen.
• This case represents a potential non-IgE-mediated beef allergy.

Conclusions:

• The basophil activation test (BAT) may be a valuable tool for diagnosing food allergies, particularly non-IgE-mediated reactions where conventional tests fail.
• Direct basophil activation testing can complement existing diagnostic approaches for food allergies like beef allergy.
• Further research is warranted to establish BAT's role in routine clinical practice for food allergy diagnosis.