INCREASED INVITRO HISTAMINE-RELEASE BY RADIOGRAPHIC CONTRAST-MEDIA IN PATIENTS WITH HISTORY OF INCOMPATIBILITY

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 34  (2) , 302-309
Abstract
In vitro leukocyte histamine release was compared in patients with a history of previous radiographic contrast media (RCM) reactions and normal controls. Peripheral leukocytes of 10 patients with a positive history of RCM incompatibility and 19 normal volunteers were stimulated in vitro with different RCM in different concentrations and the amount of histamine released was measured in the supernatant. There was a significant increase in histamine release induced by RCM in low doses (0.02-0.1 M) in the patients compared to the normals. At high doses (0.2-0.3 M), no significant differences were found. Leukocytes from 4 of the patients were stimulated preferentially by the dye responsible for the incompatibility. Six patients showed no such preference. The increased releasability of the patients'' leukocytes could not be transferred by serum. Normal leukocytes, when incubated with serum from high releasing patients did not show increased histamine release after stimulation with the respective dye. An excessive non-immunological response of basophil leukocytes to RCM stimulation might, in part, account for the adverse clinical reactions observed. Leukocyte histamine release might be a useful diagnostic tool for detecting patients with a high risk of developing contrast media reactions.