A Provocation Study Using Biogenic Amines to Show the Efficacy of Oral Diamine Oxidase Supplementation

The clinical picture of the so-called histamine intolerance has been described by various authors since the 1990ies. However, the existence of this multifactorial condition is also being contested due to the lack of both a positive definition and unambiguous diagnostics. Various provocation studies using pure histamine or histamine-containing foods support the existence of the disease pattern, however many questions still remain open. A lack of diamine oxidase (DAO) is considered the etiological cause of the condition. DAO is an enzyme known to degrade a wide array of biogenic amines. The aim of this study is to provoke a response in patients by oral administration of a defined mixture of biogenic amines. By administration of DAO before provocation an attenuation of the symptoms is to be expected.