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Allergy to the ornamental indoor green plant Tradescantia ‘Albifloxia’
Author(s) -
Wüthrich B.,
Johansson S. G. O.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1997.tb02599.x
Subject(s) - tradescantia , commelinaceae , ornamental plant , ficus , biology , perennial plant , cocos nucifera , botany , allergy , horticulture , immunology
Wüthrich B, Johansson SGO. Allergy to the ornamental indoor green plant Tradescantia ‘Albifloxia’. We report on a 32‐year‐old atopic female office employee with a moderate tree pollinosis who also suffered from indoor‐related perennial rhinoconjunctivitis. Once when she repotted her two ornamental nonflowering green plants of the genus Tradescantia ‘synonym: Albifloxia ; family Commelinaceae’, she immediately experienced itching of the face, throat, and conjunctiva; swelling of the lips; and dyspnea and wheezing. Skin prick tests with the leaves of Tradescantia ‘T. albifloxia and T. fluminensis ’‘ Ta and Tf ’ were strongly positive as was the specific IgE to Ta leaves extract. On RAST inhibition studies, no cross‐reactivity was found between Ta and Ficus benjamina ‘weeping fig’, a nonflowering green plant, which produces, in its milky sap, an important respiratory allergen. Green plants should be considered potential indoor allergens and tested in plant‐keepers referred for allergologic investigation.