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Article written by: duddy on Feb 5, 2016



Title: Allergic to vibrations?
Written by: duddy on Feb 5, 2016

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Vibratory urticarial is a ultra rare genetic condition that cause people to break out in hives if their skin is vigorously vibrated or rubbed. In fact, even drying yourself with a towel can cause hives, make your face flush, give you headaches, or produce the sensation of a metallic taste. According to a new study (http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1500611) published this week, researchers found a mutation in a gene called ADGRE2 that codes for a receptor protein found on the surface of mast cells - immune cells in the skin that dump out inflammatory molecules such as histamines that increase blood flow to an area and can cause hives. The researchers observed that shaking mast cells in a dish breaks apart two subunits of this receptor protein, which prompts histamine release. In people with the newly discovered mutation, the receptor is more prone to breakage, which causes this protective immune response at the site of physical trauma to initiate.


Comments:

Wow this is very insightful! thanks man! kind of opened a new perspective for me.

Written by: brett5333 on Feb 16, 2016