title: The natural history of shrimp hypersensitivity.
abstract: Sera collected sequentially during a 24-month interval from 11 individuals with shrimp hypersensitivity and 10 nonhypersensitive control subjects were evaluated for shrimp-specific IgE, IgG, IgM, and IgA reactivity. Shrimp-hypersensitive subjects underwent double-blind, placebo-controlled shrimp challenges; seven exhibited positive challenges, and four subjects reported the subjective symptom of oropharyngeal pruritus. Shrimp-specific IgE levels in all subjects were relatively constant during the 24 months of this study and not affected by shrimp challenge, although some fluctuation in the shrimp-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA reactivity were noted, apparently unrelated to shrimp challenge. Shrimp-specific IgE and IgG, but not IgM and IgA, were significantly higher in the group with shrimp hypersensitivity as compared to the control subjects. Moreover, the challenge-positive subjects had higher levels of both shrimp-specific IgE and IgG than subjects reporting pruritus. The levels of shrimp-specific IgG correlated directly with shrimp-specific IgE reactivity. These studies indicate that serum levels of shrimp-specific IgE are significantly elevated in shrimp-hypersensitive subjects who exhibit positive food challenges, and these baseline levels did not appear to be altered long term by isolated shrimp challenge. Furthermore, baseline shrimp-specific antibody (IgG, IgM, and IgA) levels noted in normal subjects were not markedly affected by frequent ingestion of shrimp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Alton Ochsner Medical Institutions, New Orleans, La.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Daul
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lehrer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D033364:Decapoda / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012882:Skin Tests; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007073:Immunoglobulin E