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The anaphylaxis hypothesis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): mast cell degranulation in cot death revealed by elevated concentrations of tryptase in serum
Author(s) -
HOLGATE S. T.,
WALTERS C.,
WALLS A. F.,
LAWRENCE S.,
SHELL D. J.,
VARIEND S.,
FLEMING P. J.,
BERRY P. J.,
GILBERT R. E.,
ROBINSON C.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1994.tb03316.x
Subject(s) - tryptase , degranulation , anaphylaxis , prostaglandin d2 , histamine , mast cell , sudden infant death syndrome , immunology , medicine , programmed cell death , prostaglandin , allergy , biology , biochemistry , apoptosis , pediatrics , receptor
Summary A series of cases of sudden unexpected post‐neonatal deaths from two centres in the UK have been investigated for evidence of mast cell activation using the biochemical markers tryptase and 9α,11β‐PGF 2 . Tryptase was selected as a possible marker because it is a component of mast cell secretory granules and, unlike histamine, it is not released from basophils. The prostaglandin 9α,11β‐PGF 2 is an initial and pharmacologically active metabolite of PGD 2 , the major mast cell‐derived cyclo‐oxygenase product. This prostaglandin was chosen to serve as a marker of newly generated mediator release. In the study, unexplained infant deaths were associated with a higher concentration of tryptase in serum compared with cases of unexpected, but subsequently explained death. However, 9α,11β‐PGF 2 was found to be an unsuitable post mortem marker in this situation. These results provide direct evidence that mast cell degranulation, possibly as a result of anaphylaxis, may be occurring around the time of death in some cases of cot death.