c5 Ampicilloyl

Allergens within Drugs

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The penicillins are the commonest cause of drug-induced allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis (3).

Allergen Exposure

The penicillins are a major and widely used group of antibiotics. Extensive clinical use has shown, them to have low toxicity (1). The aminopenicillins (such as ampicillin and amoxicillin) were developed because of the need for gram-negative antimicrobial activity (2).

Potential Cross-Reactivity

Results from a study (5) indicate that in most instances, cross-reactivity with other penicillins exists and that in the patient groups studied, selective reactions to ampicillin-derived determinants were uncommon.

Clinical Experience

Ampicillin can induce an immediate IgE response in subjects allergic to betalactams and the structure of the side chain may contribute to the specificity of the response. The penicillins are the commonest cause of drug-induced allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis (3). Although the true incidence is difficult to assess, it is a significant clinical problem (4). 
 
Review
The penicillins are a major and widely used group of antibiotics. Extensive clinical use has shown, them to have low toxicity (1). The aminopenicillins (such as ampicillin and amoxicillin) were developed because of the need for gram-negative antimicrobial activity (2). The penicillins are the commonest cause of drug-induced allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis (3). Although the true incidence is difficult to assess, it is a significant clinical problem (4).
 
Ampicillin can induce an immediate IgE response in subjects allergic to betalactams and the structure of the side chain may contribute to the specificity of the response. However, results from a study (5) indicate that in most instances cross-reactivity with other penicillins exists and that in the patient groups studied, selective reactions to ampicillin-derived determinants were uncommon.
 

References:

    1. Neu HC. Chemotherapy of infections. In: Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, Petersdorf RG, Wilson JD, Martin JB, Fauci AS, eds. Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1987;485:485-502.
    2. Wright AJ, Wilkowske CJ. The penicillins. Mayo Clin Proc 1991;66(10):1047-63.
    3. Van Arsdel PP Jr. Classification and Risk Factors for Drug Allergy. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 1991;11(3):475-91.
    4. Erffmeyer JE. Penicillin allergy. Clin Rev Allergy 1986;4:171-88.
    5. Romano A, Torres MJ, Fernandez J, Vega JM, Mayorga C, Garcia J, et al. Allergic reactions to ampicillin. Studies on the specificity and selectivity in subjects with immediate reactions. Clin Exp Allergy 1997;27(12):1425-31.

2006



Further Reading