Immunology Review Corner

Chapter 82 of the 6th edition of Middleton’s Allergy Principles and Practice, edited by N. Franklin Adkinson, et al.

Prepared by Drs. Karla R. Davis, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, and Soo Kim-Delio, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Chapter 82: Natural Rubber Latex Allergy

1. Many natural rubber latex proteins function as allergens. Health care workers are likely to be sensitized to which of the following proteins?
A. Hev b 1
B. Hev b 3
C. Hev b 5
D. Hev b 7

2. Structural homologies exist between Hev b 5 and which of the following foods?
A. Avocado
B. Banana
C. Kiwi fruit
D. Potato

3. Which of the following fruits is most likely to cause clinical symptoms in a latex-allergic person?
A. Papaya
B. Passion fruit
C. Pear
D. Pineapple

4. Contact dermatitis to rubber is most frequently attributed to which of the following rubber product components?
A. Amine derivatives
B. Carbamate group
C. Thiourea group
D. Thiuram group

5. What is the most common early manifestation of rubber allergy?
A. Allergic contact dermatitis
B. Asthma
C. Contact urticaria
D. Rhinitis

6. Surgical and household gloves produced by different manufacturers contain different compounds. Patients with sensitivity to which of the following foods may experience glove-related reactions due to the food allergen compounded into gloves?
A. Egg
B. Milk
C. Peanut
D. Shrimp

7. Many natural rubber latex proteins function as allergens. Which is a rubber elongation factor (REF)?
A. Hev b 1
B. Hev b 3
C. Hev b 5
D. Hev b 7

8. What is the most common reaction to latex products?
A. Anaphylaxis
B. Asthma
C. Irritant contact dermatitis
D. Rhinitis

9. Which of the following products is a synthetic elastomer, which poses no risk to persons who are sensitized to natural rubber proteins?
A. Balloons
B. Condoms
C. Neoprene
D. Surgical Gloves

10. Which of the following Hospital/Clinic areas has been demonstrated to have the highest latex aeroallergen concentration, based on high-volume air sampling studies?
A. Bone marrow transplant unit
B. Orthodontics outpatient surgery
C. Spirometry laboratory
D. Virus serology laboratory

Answers:
1. C, page 1487
2. C, page 1488
3. A, page 1489
4. D, page 1490
5. C, page 1490
6. B, page 1487
7. A, page 1487
8. C, pages 1489-1490
9. C, page 1487
10. B, page 1492