[Characteristics of shrimp allergy from childhood to adulthood in Japan].
OBJECTIVE
We examined profiles and clinical symptoms of shrimp allergy patients and investigated the correlation of shrimp-specific IgE to crustaceans-specific IgE, mollusks-specific IgE and shellfish-specific IgE. In addition, symptoms when eating crustaceans other than shrimp, mollusks and shellfish were examined, because they shared tropomyosin as a major allergen.


METHODS
We examined 99 definitive shrimp allergy cases with questionnaire.


RESULTS
Their onset started during either childhood or young adulthood. Symptoms appeared within an hour after ingestion of shrimp in 87.9% cases. The most common symptoms were skin symptoms, followed by oral allergic syndrome (OAS) like symptoms, respiratory symptoms. Anaphylaxis were observed in 61 cases including 2 anaphylactic shock cases. Among 99 shrimp allergy cases, 44 cases (64.7%) showed positive reaction to crabs out of 68 cases experiencing crab ingestion. Only 11 cases (17.5%) reacted against squid out of 63 cases with the experience in squid ingestion. Crab-specific IgE (C.I. 0.954, p < 0.001) and squid-specific IgE (C.I. 0.582, p > 0.001) were strongly correlated with shrimp-specific IgE.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that a lot of cases with shrimp allergy react to crabs clinically, and which seem to be different from the reaction against mollusk and shellfish intake in spite of sharing tropomyosin as a major allergen among them.
Tomikawa
Morimitsu
M
Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Sagamihara National Hospital. m-tomikawa@sagamihara-hosp.gr.jp
Suzuki
Naohito
N
Urisu
Atsuo
A
Tsuburai
Takahiro
T
Ito
Setsuko
S
Shibata
Rumiko
R
Ito
Komei
K
Ebisawa
Motohiro
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003445:Crustacea; D033364:Decapoda / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008974:Mollusca / Q000276:immunology; D012758:Shellfish; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000032:analysis*
D000485:Allergens; D014335:Tropomyosin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E