Abstract

A 37-year-old butcher developed respiratory symptoms during sausage and chicken production in a large company. In addition to various spices, the enzyme transglutaminase was a possible cause. The lung function test showed mild partial reversible airway obstruction and severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The IgE test showed sensitizations to various spice mixtures, coriander (0.74 kU/L), and to the ImmunoCAPbound transglutaminase preparation from the workplace (7.12 kU/L). The skin prick tests with this transglutaminase were also positive. In the immunoblot of this preparation, a 40-kD protein reacted with the patient’s IgE and was identified as transglutaminase from Streptomyces mobaraensis by inhibition experiments. This is the first case of a butcher with an allergy to transglutaminase. After moving to a small enterprise without enzyme use, his symptoms improved. Sensitization and the course of the symptoms indicate a dominant role of transglutaminase in the patient’s allergic asthma.

Author Details

Authors

• Ingrid Sander¹
• Claus Keller²
• Christina Czibor¹
• Ursula Meurer¹
• Rolf Merget¹
• Monika Raulf¹

Departments

• ¹ Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, and
• ² Medical Practice for Pulmonary and Bronchial Medicine, Allergology and Environmental Medicine, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Address

Dr. Ingrid Sander, Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum, Center of Allergology/Immunology, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany
Email: [email protected]

Citation