TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence of sensitivity to sulfiting agents in asthmatic patients
AU - Bush, Robert K.
AU - Taylor, Steve L.
AU - Holden, Karen
AU - Nordlee, Julie A.
AU - Busse, William W.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the Department of Medicine and the Food Research Institute, the University of Wisconsin, and the William S. Middleton Veterans’ Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin. This work was supported in part by contributions from the Corn Refiners Association, National Fisheries Institute, Natlonal Cherry Growers and Industries Foundation, Frito-Lay, Inc., R.T. French Co., Basic American Foods, Thomas J. Lipton, Inc., Del Monte Corporation, Hershey Foods Corporation, and Stauffer Chemical Company. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Robert K. Bush, Clinical Sciences Center, 600 Highland Avenue, H6/ 367, Madison, Wisconsin 53792. Manuscript submitted November 6, 1985, and accepted November 27, 1985.
PY - 1986/11
Y1 - 1986/11
N2 - Ingestion of sulfiting agents can induce wheezing in some asthmatic patients. However, neither the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity nor the clinical characteristics of the affected asthmatic population are known. In a prospective single-blind screening study, 120 non-steroid-dependent and 83 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients underwent challenge with oral capsules of potassium metabisulfite. Five non-steroid-dependent and 16 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients experienced a greater than 20 percent reduction in their one-second forced expiratory volume within 30 minutes following the oral challenge. Twelve of these sulfite reactors were rechallenged with metabisulfite capsules in a double-blind protocol. Under these conditions, only three of seven steroid-dependent patients had a positive response. Moreover, only one of five non-steroid-dependent patients had a response to double-blind challenge. On the basis of this challenge study, the best estimate of the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the asthmatic patients studied is 3.9 percent. This population, however, contained a larger number of steroid-dependent asthmatic patients than would be found in the general asthmatic population. It is concluded, therefore, that the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the asthmatic population as a whole would be less than 3.9 percent and that steroid-dependent asthmatic patients are most at risk.
AB - Ingestion of sulfiting agents can induce wheezing in some asthmatic patients. However, neither the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity nor the clinical characteristics of the affected asthmatic population are known. In a prospective single-blind screening study, 120 non-steroid-dependent and 83 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients underwent challenge with oral capsules of potassium metabisulfite. Five non-steroid-dependent and 16 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients experienced a greater than 20 percent reduction in their one-second forced expiratory volume within 30 minutes following the oral challenge. Twelve of these sulfite reactors were rechallenged with metabisulfite capsules in a double-blind protocol. Under these conditions, only three of seven steroid-dependent patients had a positive response. Moreover, only one of five non-steroid-dependent patients had a response to double-blind challenge. On the basis of this challenge study, the best estimate of the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the asthmatic patients studied is 3.9 percent. This population, however, contained a larger number of steroid-dependent asthmatic patients than would be found in the general asthmatic population. It is concluded, therefore, that the prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the asthmatic population as a whole would be less than 3.9 percent and that steroid-dependent asthmatic patients are most at risk.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022808354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0022808354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0002-9343(86)90351-7
DO - 10.1016/0002-9343(86)90351-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 3535492
AN - SCOPUS:0022808354
SN - 0002-9343
VL - 81
SP - 816
EP - 820
JO - The American journal of medicine
JF - The American journal of medicine
IS - 5
ER -