Immediate type anaphylaxis of streptomycin allergy elicited by streptomycin polymers

It has been known that streptomycin (SM) can cause some immediate type anaphylaxis even anaphylactic shock in clinical therapy. The characteristic of the substance that elicits the allergic reaction has not been reported. Using gel filtration and high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), we have found that some impurities of high molecular weights (HMW) were formed by heating acidic SM solution. The HMW impurities had a colour reaction with citric acid-acetic anhydride reagent and elicited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) on guinea pigs sensitized with rabbit anti-SM-BSA serum and general anaphylaxis in guinea pigs immunized by SM-BSA. It is suggested that the impurities, SM polymers (poly-SM) related to some reactions on amino groups of SM, are the allergens of SM allergy.