IgE reactivity against a cross-reactive allergen in crustacea and mollusca: Evidence for tropomyosin as the common allergen

doi:10.1016/S0091-6749(96)80012-1

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volume 98, Issue 5, Part 1, November 1996, Pages 954-961

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0091-6749(96)80012-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background: Although cross-reactivity between mollusks and other crustaceans in shrimp-sensitive subjects has been reported, the mechanism of this allergenic cross-reactivity has not been studied in detail. Objective: To investigate this cross-reactivity in vitro, we have taken advantage of a complementary DNA that expresses tropomyosin, the immunodominant shrimp allergen. Methods: Serum IgE from nine patients with known anaphylaxis to shrimp and five normal volunteers were analyzed by immunoblotting against 13 distinct crustaceans and mollusks. As additional antigens, muscle preparations were isolated from grasshopper, cockroach, fruit fly, chicken, and mouse. Results: Sera from all patients, but not control subjects, reacted specifically with a 38 kd protein in all crustaceans and mollusks studied. In addition, 8 of 9 sera from patients, but from none of the normal control subjects, recognized proteins of various other molecular weights among the mollusk extracts studied. The 38 kd protein was identified as tropomyosin and was shown to share immunodominant epitopes among all species of crustaceans and mollusks tested by specific absorption studies. Moreover, sera from all nine subjects with shrimp allergy demonstrated IgE reactivities against grasshopper, cockroach, and fruit fly but not chicken or murine muscle. Conclusion: The allergic epitopes on tropomyosin are conserved among invertebrates including not only shellfish but also insects. This latter observation suggests that persons sensitive to shrimp should undergo further study for potential cross-reactive inhalant or ingested insect sensitivity. (J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL 1996;98:954-61.)

Section snippets

Serum samples

Sera from nine subjects with a known clinical history of hypersensitivity to shrimp were obtained from the sera bank at Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis. All patients had a documented clinical history of anaphylaxis after ingestion of shrimp. These patients avoided other crustaceans, and it was not known whether they would clinically react to other seafood products. Sera from five volunteers who did not have a clinical history of crustacean or other

Reactivity of shrimp-sensitive sera against crustacean muscle extracts

The boiled muscle extracts from shrimp, spiny lobster, and mud crab were subjected to immunoblotting against a panel of sera from subjects with a clinical history of shrimp allergy. Nine sera, which had been previously shown to react to recombinant shrimp tropomyosin,¹⁵ reacted to muscle proteins at approximately 38 kd in the crustacean samples (Table I).

Reactivity of shrimp-sensitive sera against mollusk muscle extracts

IgE reactivity of the nine sera obtained from patients with a documented clinical history of shrimp hypersensitivity was tested against 10

DISCUSSION

Mollusks—including gastropods such as abalone, bivalves such as oysters, and cephalopods such as squids—are important food sources in many parts of the world. The abalone, whelk, mussel, pen shell, scallop, oyster, clam, cuttlefish, squid, and octopus species chosen for this study encompass the wide range of popular mollusk food items served in different communities.

In this study the IgE reactivity of the sera from subjects sensitive to shrimp was found to be reactive with a 38 kd muscle

Acknowledgements

We thank Frederick Lai Shing Leong, Raymond Li, Keith Wong, and Yeung Chang Tam for their technical assistance and Fu Xue Li and Wilkin Wai Kuen Cheung for identifying some of the animals used in this study.

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^☆: From ^aDivision of Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis; ^bDepartment of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong; and ^cDepartment of Entomology, University of California, Davis.

^☆☆: Supported in part by a grant from the Croucher Foundation, Hong Kong.

^★: Reprint requests: Patrick S. C. Leung, PhD, Division of Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.

^★★: 1/1/74343

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IgE reactivity against a cross-reactive allergen in crustacea and mollusca: Evidence for tropomyosin as the common allergen☆,☆☆,★,★★

Abstract

Section snippets

Serum samples

Reactivity of shrimp-sensitive sera against crustacean muscle extracts

Reactivity of shrimp-sensitive sera against mollusk muscle extracts

DISCUSSION

Acknowledgements

J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL

Ann Allergy

J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL

J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL

Gene

Trends Biochem Sci

Crustacean allergy

Clin Exp Allergy

Hypersensitivity reactions to crustacea and mollusks

Clin Rev Allergy

Late anaphylactic reaction to cuttlefish

Ann Allergy

Anaphylaxis to grand keyhole limpet (abalone-like shellfish) and abalone

Ann Allergy

Allergy to limpet

Allergy

Anaphylaxis due to limpet ingestion

Ann Allergy

Squid hypersensitivity: a clinical and immunological study

Ann Allergy