Asia Pac Allergy.  2013 Jan;3(1):70-73. 10.5415/apallergy.2013.3.1.70.

A case of taurine-containing drink induced anaphylaxis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea. shkrins@gmail.com
  • 2Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
  • 3Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 463-802, Korea.
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul 156-707, Korea.

Abstract

Taurine is one of most abundant free amino acids in mammalian tissue. It has been used for various health functional foods as a main ingredient in food industry. A 33-year-old female patient repeatedly experienced generalized itching, urticaria, dyspnea and dizziness after drinking taurine-containing drinks. The patient showed positive response to oral challenge tests with taurine-containing drinks. The patient also showed positive response with synthetic taurine but not with natural taurine. Skin prick test and basophil activation test with the synthetic taurine were negative. To our knowledge, there has been no report of taurine-induced hypersensitivity reactions. We herein report the first case of taurine-containing drink induced anaphylaxis, especially by synthetic taurine.

Keyword

Anaphylaxis; Taurine; Energy drinks

MeSH Terms

Adult
Amino Acids
Anaphylaxis*
Basophils
Dizziness
Drinking
Dyspnea
Energy Drinks
Female
Food Industry
Functional Food
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Pruritus
Skin
Taurine
Urticaria
Amino Acids
Taurine

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