Kopač P, Koren A, Bidovec-Stojkovič U, Košnik M, Dejanović L, et al.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) •
Upon first exposure to cetuximab, hypersensitivity reactions can occur. We aimed to assess the utility of the basophil activation test (BAT) to alpha-gal and cetuximab for predicting severe reactions. We prospectively recruited 38 patients and evaluated sIgE to alpha-gal in all patients before the first application of cetuximab. In all alpha-gal-sensitized patients, we evaluated skin tests to meat extracts, gelatine, and cetuximab and performed BAT with alpha-gal and cetuximab. In 24% (9/38) of patients, sIgE to alpha-gal was >0.10 kUA/L, and 8/9 reacted to the cetuximab. Basophil activation tests with alpha-gal were positive in all sensitized patients and were higher in those with severe reactions (18.3% in grade 4 [ = 4] vs. 1.8% in grade 2 [ = 3] or no reaction [ = 1] at 3.3 ng/mL of alpha-gal; = 0.03). All patients with severe grade 4 reactions had a positive CD63 BAT response to cetuximab compared to patients with moderate or no reaction, who all had negative BAT (57.7% vs. 0.9% at 500 µg/mL, 63.2% vs. 4.1% at 100 µg/mL, 58.2% vs. 2.7% at 10 µg/mL, and 32.1% vs. 3.3% at 1 µg/mL of cetuximab, respectively; ≤ 0.001). In summary, before initiating cetuximab treatment, sIgE to alpha-gal should be assessed in all patients. To predict the severity of the reaction and to assess the risk of cetuximab-induced anaphylaxis, we should perform BATs with alpha-gal or more discriminative BATs with cetuximab.
This narrative review seeks to distinguish the clinical patterns of pre-existing allergic conditions from other confounding non-allergic clinical entities, and to identify the potential related risks and facilitate their perioperative management. Follow-up investigation should be performed after a perioperative immediate hypersensitivity to establish a diagnosis and provide advice for subsequent anaesthetics, the main risk factor for perioperative immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated anaphylaxis being a previous uninvestigated perioperative immediate hypersensitivity reaction. The concept of cross-reactivity between drugs used in the perioperative setting and food is often quoted, but usually not supported by evidence. There is no reason to avoid propofol in egg, soy, or peanut allergy. The allergenic determinants have been characterised for fish, shellfish, and povidone iodine, but remain unknown for iodinated contrast agents. Iodinated drugs may be used in seafood allergy. Evidence supporting the risk for protamine allergy in fish allergy and in neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin use is lacking. Conversely, cross-reactivity to gelatin-based colloid may occur in α-gal syndrome. Atopy and allergic asthma along with other non-allergic conditions, such as NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease, chronic urticaria, mastocytosis, and hereditary or acquired angioedema, are not risk factors for IgE-mediated drug allergy, but there is a perioperative risk associated with the potential for exacerbation of the various conditions.