Skin prick test positivity to monosodium glutamate in adult urticaria patients attending a tertiary care centre

Aparna K, James V, Pudukadan D

Pdf Page Numbers :- 292-296

Aparna K¹, Varghes James^1,* and David Pudukadan¹

¹Department of Dermatology, Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute, Thrissur, Kerala 680 005, India

*Corresponding author: Dr. Varghese James, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute, Thrissur, Kerala 680 005, India. Email: varghesejames@rediffmail.com

Received 24 February 2025; Revised 23 April 2025; Accepted 8 May 2025; Published 19 May 2025

Citation: Aparna K, James V, Pudukadan D. Skin prick test positivity to monosodium glutamate in adult urticaria patients attending a tertiary care centre. J Med Sci Res. 2025; 13(3):292-296. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17727/JMSR.2025/13-51

Copyright: © 2025 Aparna K et al. Published by KIMS Foundation and Research Center. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

PDF

Abstract

Background: Urticaria is a common skin condition marked by itchy, raised, and red wheals. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), commonly known as Ajinomoto, is a widely used flavour enhancer and a potential allergen detectable through skin prick testing. This study aims to determine the skin prick test positivity to MSG in adult urticaria patients attending the Dermatology OPD and to create awareness about the presence of MSG in commonly available food products.

Methodology: One hundred and twenty consecutive adult urticaria patients attending the Dermatology Outpatient Department at Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur, were included in the study. Skin prick tests were performed using MSG, and the results were recorded. Informed written consent was obtained from all patients. A detailed history and clinical examination were conducted, and the findings were documented in a standard proforma.

Results: The results revealed that 30.8% of the patients (37 out of 120) tested positive for a reaction to Ajinomoto, indicating possible hypersensitivity to the substance. On the other hand, 69.2% (83 patients) tested negative, showing no allergic reaction or sensitivity to Ajinomoto in the skin prick test.

Conclusion: A significant portion of urticaria patients may experience symptom exacerbation due to exposure to Ajinomoto, while the majority did not show sensitivity. This finding may help in identifying potential dietary triggers for urticaria flare-ups in affected individuals.

Keywords: acute urticaria; chronic urticaria; skin prick test; monosodium glutamate; Ajinomoto