Settipane 1975: Aspirin intolerance. III. Subtypes, familial occurence, and cross-reactivity with tartarazine

Yellow Cupcake, Copyright: cheryledavis / 123RF Stock PhotoJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1975. Sep;56(3): 215-21

The authors presented their evidence that in aspirin intolerance there are two mechanisms – one causing bronchospasm (breathing difficulty such as in asthma) and the other causing urticaria (hives).

They also discussed the cross-reaction between aspirin and tartrazine (Yellow 5), and conducted a double-blind study to determine how often this happens.  They found that 15% of the 40 aspirin-intolerant subjects reacted to tartrazine, while none of the controls did.

NOTE:  The authors estimated (in 1975) that the maximum per capita ingestion of Yellow 5 was 16.3 mg per day; nevertheless, in their own study they used only 0.22 to 0.44 mg — in other words, the most they used was 1/40th the amount they knew may be actually encountered by real people.  Even so, 15% of their subjects had reactions!

QUOTE:  “The fact that the type of symptom produced by tartrazine was similar to that produced by aspirin may mean that the same type of biochemical abnormality may be present.  … However, the molecular structure of tartrazine is vastly different than that of aspirin …”

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Some other older studies on salicylates and dermatitis:

This entry was posted in < 1981, Asthma, Dermatitis, Diet Studies, Eczema, Food Dyes, Hives, Research Studies, Salicylate. Bookmark the permalink.

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