The Pork-Cat Syndrome refers to a patient with an allergy both to cats and to pork.
Clinial features:
(1) allergy to cats
(2) allergy to pork or meat of porcine animals such as wild boar, which may include angioedema and fatal anaphylaxis
How the pork is processed may affect how strong the allergic reaction is. Some patients may react to pork in sausage but not to pork salami. This suggests that processing may alter key allergens.
Laboratory findings:
(1) positive RAST testing to cat antigens (epithelial)
(2) positive RAST testing to pig antigens
Drouet et al raised the possibility of patients with pork-cat syndrome have a heparin allergy if the heparin is produced in pigs. This raises the possibility of reacting to implants made of pork products such as porcine heart valves.
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