Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2016 Mar;8(2):101-106. 10.4168/aair.2016.8.2.101.

Shellfish and House Dust Mite Allergies: Is the Link Tropomyosin?

• Wong L
• Huang CH
• Lee BW

• KMID: 2165925
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2016.8.2.101

Abstract

Crustacean shellfish allergy is an important cause of food allergy and anaphylaxis in Asia. The major allergen in shellfish allergy is tropomyosin, a pan-allergen that is also found in house dust mites and cockroaches. Tropomyosins from house dust mites (HDMs) have a high sequence homology to shellfish tropomyosins, and cross-reactivity between HDM and shrimp tropomyosins has been demonstrated. Exposure to inhaled tropomyosins from house dust mites has been postulated to be the primary sensitizer for shellfish allergy, in a reaction analogous to the oral allergy (inhalant-food) syndrome. This notion is supported by indirect data from the effects of HDM immunotherapy on shellfish allergy, and strong correlations of shellfish and HDM sensitization. HDM immunotherapy has been reported to induce both shrimp allergy in non-allergic patients and shrimp tolerance in shrimp-allergic patients. Epidemiological surveys have also demonstrated a strong correlation between shellfish and HDM sensitization in both hospital-based and community-based studies. Unexposed populations have also been shown to develop sensitization-shellfish sensitization in orthodox Jews with no history of shellfish consumption was associated with HDM sensitization. Reciprocally, HDM sensitization in an Icelandic population living in a HDM-free environment was associated with shrimp sensitization. In vitro IgE inhibition studies on sera in shrimp-allergic Spanish patients indicate that mites are the primary sensitizer in shrimp-allergic patients living in humid and warm climates. Current data supports the hypothesis that tropomyosin is the link between HDM and shellfish allergies. The role of tropomyosin in HDM and shellfish allergies is a fertile field for investigation as it may provide novel immunotherapeutic strategies for shellfish allergy.

Keyword

House dust mite; Shellfish allergy; Tropomyosin; Asia

MeSH Terms

Anaphylaxis
Asia
Climate
Cockroaches
Dust*
Food Hypersensitivity
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Iceland
Immunoglobulin E
Immunotherapy
Jews
Mites
Pyroglyphidae*
Sequence Homology
Shellfish*
Tropomyosin*
Dust
Immunoglobulin E
Tropomyosin

Figure

• 

  Figure Comparison of identified Pen a 1 IgE-binding epitopes with homologous sequences in other allergic tropomyosins. Pen a 1 (Genbank accession number AAZ76743) from shrimp Penaeus aztecus, Pen m 1 (BAF47262) from shrimp Penaeus monodon, Pan b 1(CBY17558) from shrimp Pandalus borealis, Cra c 1 (ACR43473 ) from shrimp Crangon crangon, Mel l 1 (AGF86397) from prawn Melicertus latisulcatus, Mar c 1 (ADC55380) from prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Hom a 1 (AAC48288) from lobster Homarus americanus, Pan s 1 (AAC38996) from Lobster Panulirus stimpsoni, Por p 1 (AGE44125) from crab Portunus pelagicus, Cha f 1 (AAF35431) from crab Charybdis feriatus, Hel as 1 (CAB38044.1) from snail Helix aspersa, Ore m 4 (AFV53352) from fish Oreochromis mossambicus, Der p 10 (CAA75141) from mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der f 10 (BAA04557) from mite Dermatophagoides farinae, Blo t 10 (ABU97466) from mite Blomia tropicalis, Lep d 10 (CAB71342) from mite Lepidoglyphus destructor, Tyr p 10 (AAT40866) from mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Bla g 7 (AAF72534) from cockroach Blattella germanica, Per a 7 (AAD19606) from cockroach, Chi k 10 (CAA09938) from Midge Chironomus kiiensis, Ani s 3 (CAB93501) form parasite Anisakis simplex, Asc l 3 (ACN32322) from parasite Ascaris lumbricoides, Lep s 1 (CAC84590) from silverfish Lepisma saccharina. IgE epitopes on the studies of Pen a 1 and Pen m 1 are shaded. Sequences that are aligned with the identified Pen a 1 IgE epitopes are boxed. The numbers in the parentheses indicated the percentages of identity as compared to the sequence of Pen a 1. *Let v1 and Pen a 1 have identical sequence.

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