Carboxymethylcellulose allergy and tolerance by route in one patient
What it found
One person with a confirmed carboxymethylcellulose allergy could swallow it and use it in eye drops without problems.
Breathing it in through the nose triggered asthma and rhinitis.
What they found
Studies in people
Confirmed allergy response
Skin tests and blood cell tests showed the patient had an immune reaction to carboxymethylcellulose driven by IgE antibodies.
Swallowed or eye drops
The patient handled carboxymethylcellulose taken by mouth and as eye drops without any allergic reaction.
Breathed in through nose
When carboxymethylcellulose was given through the nose, the patient developed worse asthma and rhinitis.
What the authors conclude
- They say that whether someone can handle carboxymethylcellulose depends on how it enters the body.
- They advise testing patients through different routes to give proper guidance for managing this allergy.
How it was done
People who are allergic to carboxymethylcellulose find it hard to avoid because it is used so widely. Doctors wanted to see if this person could handle it when taken in different ways.
Doctors tested one patient with a known carboxymethylcellulose allergy using skin tests, blood cell tests, and exposure by mouth, nose, and eyes. They also reviewed past reports of similar allergies.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This report covers only one person.
- It cannot show what would happen in everyone with this allergy.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Strasbourg University Hospital, France; University Hospital of Strasbourg, France; University of Strasbourg, France
The paper
- Title
- A case report of carboxymethylcellulose allergy: exploring tolerance based on administration route
- Type
- Case report
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Piotin A, Poirot A, Wurm M, et al (2025). A case report of carboxymethylcellulose allergy: exploring tolerance based on administration route. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology. doi:10.1080/08923973.2025.2469214PubMed 39980337DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error