A rare case of food allergy: monosensitivity to kiwi (Actinidia chinensis)

We present a case of hypersensitivity to kiwi in a 26 year-old patient with no previous atopic history. The first reaction episode occurred a few minutes after kiwi ingestion, presenting with a localized pruritic reaction.

This symptomatology repeated itself a few months later, again immediately after eating kiwi and was accompanied by dysphagia, vomiting and urticaria. In the complementary laboratory analyses a total IgE of 187 IU/ml was appreciated. The skin test to inhalant and food antigens were negative, while the kiwi extract produced a + + + + reaction.

The histamine release test was positive (20%). Specific IgE levels (Kallestad) demonstrated results of 0.35 AEU/ml (class I). Specific IgG4 levels were normal and the hemagglutination test was negative. With the above results, we concluded that we were dealing with a case of monosensitivity to kiwi which was probably IgE mediated.

CITA DEL ARTÍCULO Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 1989 Jul-Aug;17(4):217-8