IMMEDIATE TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY TO PHENYLMERCURIC COMPOUNDS

Symptoms of a physician subject to severe asthma and urticaria could be attributed almost completely to exposure to phenylmercuric propionate, an antibacterial substance used in laundering hospital linens. The patient was exceptional in giving a passively transferable immediate wheal and erythema skin test reaction to relatively low molecular weight compounds. Other immunologic studies were negative except for in vitro histamine release from leukocytes by the allergen. The patient also gave skin test reactions to other phenylmercuric compounds. In high concentrations these compounds are irritants. They are widely employed as antibacterial and antifungal agents in agriculture, industry and medicinals, and are used in washing the linens of many hospitals. © 1968.