Research | First Cases of Pork-Cat Syndrome in the U.S.

First Cases of Pork-Cat Syndrome in the U.S. Reported by UVA Allergy Faculty

UVA Division of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology faculty Scott Commins, Thomas Platts-Mills and colleagues reported the first U.S. cases of pork-cat syndrome in the March 2013 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In this uncommon syndrome, patients have an IgE antibody response specific for cat serum albumin that cross-reacts with porcine albumin and can lead to severe or even fatal allergic reactions when pork is consumed. Until now, reported cases of pork-cat syndrome had been largely European.

The authors evaluated numerous patients with suspected meat allergy and found eight cases of pork-cat syndrome. The article describes representative clinical histories and evaluations of two patients, including detailed IgE specificity and clinical response to elimination diet, both of which strongly suggested the diagnosis.

Initial description of pork-cat syndrome in the United States. Posthumus J, James HR,
Lane CJ, Matos LA, Platts-Mills TA, Commins SP. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Mar;131(3):923-5.