Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

IgE-Mediated Drug Fever Due to Histamine H2-Receptor Blockers

  • Case Reports
  • Drug Experience
  • Published:
Drug Safety Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Drug-induced fever due to histamine H2-receptor blockers was experienced by a 55-year-old man. The patient became febrile 5 days after receiving cimetidine, and continued to be febrile until the drug was stopped. His maximum body temperature was above 40°C. Challenge tests with cimetidine and ranitidine showed that the fever was caused by the H2-blocker.

The patient’s serum IgE concentration increased markedly to 2590 IU/ml 10 days after admission, and skin tests for cimetidine and ranitidine were positive. Lymphocyte stimulation tests were positive for both drugs (stimulation indices: 193% for cimetidine and 325% for ranitidine).

Cimetidine-induced fever has generally been thought to be due to a direct effect on the thermoregulatory centre in the hypothalamus, on the basis of experimental studies of the injection of cimetidine to the cerebral ventricles. However, clinical evidence has not excluded an allergic involvement in this type of drug-induced fever. This patient’s fever was proven to be due to administration of the H2-blocker, and the mechanism of action was IgE-mediated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Kandasamy SB, Williams BA. Hypothermic and antipyretic effects of ACTH (1–24) and α-melanotropin in guinea-pigs. Neuropharmacology 23: 49–53, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katz DH. Regulation of the IgE system: experimental and clinical aspects. Allergy 39: 81–106, 1984

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kitami K, Yamaguchi K. Diagnosis of drug allergy using peripheral blood lymphocytes. Clinical Immunology (Japan) 15: 727–736, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipsky BA, Hirschmann JV. Drug fever. Journal of the American Medical Association 245: 851–854, 1981

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nistico G, Rotiroti D, de Sarro A, Naccari F. Mechanism of cimetidine-induced fever. Lancet 2: 265–266, 1978

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramboer C. Drug fever with cimetidine. Lancet 2: 330–331, 1978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wide L, Porath J. Radioimmunoassay of proteins with the use of Sephadex-coupled antibodies. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 130: 257–260, 1966

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Traumatology, Osaka University Medical School, Fukushima 1-1-50, Fukushima-ku Osaka, Japan

    Atsushi Hiraide & Toshiharu Yoshioka

  2. Department of Surgery, Kansai Rohsai Hospital, Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan

    Susumu Ohshima

Authors
  1. Atsushi Hiraide
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Toshiharu Yoshioka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Susumu Ohshima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hiraide, A., Yoshioka, T. & Ohshima, S. IgE-Mediated Drug Fever Due to Histamine H2-Receptor Blockers. Drug-Safety 5, 455–457 (1990). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-199005060-00006

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-199005060-00006

Keywords

Search

Navigation