House dust mite allergy and shrimp allergy: a complex interaction

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Sensitization and allergy to shrimp in house dust mite (HDM)-allergic patients are not well-defined.
• A large multicenter study was conducted to investigate this association in Italy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of shrimp sensitization and allergy in HDM-allergic patients.
• To identify potential risk factors and key allergens involved in shrimp allergy within this population.

Main Methods:

• Assessed shrimp sensitization and allergy in 526 HDM-allergic patients.
• Measured IgE levels to Der p 10 (tropomyosin) and compared with 100 atopic controls not sensitized to HDM.

Main Results:

• Shrimp allergy occurred in 9% of HDM-allergic patients, significantly higher than controls (0%).
• Shrimp-allergic patients had lower hypersensitivity to other airborne allergens (35% vs 58.8%).
• Only 51% of tropomyosin-sensitized patients had shrimp allergy, and 53% of shrimp-allergic patients did not react to tropomyosin.

Conclusions:

• Shrimp allergy appears linked to hypersensitivity to HDM allergens.
• Tropomyosin is a primary shrimp allergen, but not universally the sole or major one in Italy.
• Monosensitization to HDM and tropomyosin-specific IgE levels are risk factors for shrimp allergy in HDM-allergic individuals.