title: In vivo diagnosis with purified tropomyosin in mite and shellfish allergic patients.
abstract: Tropomyosin is the most studied shellfish allergen and has been involved in cross-reactivity among different invertebrates (crustacean, mollusks, mites, insects, and nematodes).
  
  
  
  To determine the relevance of tropomyosin in mite- and shellfish-sensitized patients using tropomyosin skin testing.
  
  
  
  Patients were divided into 3 groups: group M included mite allergic patients (ie, individuals with respiratory symptoms and a positive result on skin prick testing [SPT] to house dust mites), group S included shellfish allergic patients (ie, individuals who reported symptoms with shellfish), and group MS included mite- and shellfish allergic patients (ie, individuals who simultaneously fulfilled the inclusion criteria for groups M and S). Tropomyosin was purified from shrimp, characterized, and used in SPT for diagnosis in the patient population.
  
  
  
  Eight hundred fifty patients were included in the study: 790 (92.9%) in group M, 21 (2.5%) in group S, and 39 (4.6%) in group MS. Tropomyosin was purified from shrimp with a purity higher than 95%. Forty-two individuals tested positive to tropomyosin: the prevalence was 2.7% in group M, 28.6% in group S, and 38.5% in patients of group MS. Twenty-one (50%) of the tropomyosin-positive individuals had symptoms with shellfish, and 3 (14.3%) reported anaphylaxis.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of tropomyosin was low in mite-sensitized patients (2.7 %) and high in shellfish allergic patients (28.6%). The higher prevalence of tropomyosin was found in patients sensitized to both mite and shellfish (38.5%). The selection of tropomyosin-sensitized patients by SPT might help in the choice of appropriate treatments or management for these patients.
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, Laboratorios LETI S.L., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: López-Matas
authors.affiliation: Allergy Section, Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa and Centro de Especialidades Foietes, Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: de Larramendi
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, Laboratorios LETI S.L., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.affiliation: Allergy Service, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Elche, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Allergy Section, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Cartagena, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel Julio
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Huertas
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Hospital de la Vega Baja, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Centro de Especialidades El Españoleto, Játiva, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis Angel
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Allergy Section, Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa and Centro de Especialidades Foietes, Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: García-Abujeta
authors.affiliation: Allergy Section, Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa and Centro de Especialidades Foietes, Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicario
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Hospital de la Vega Baja, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andreu
authors.affiliation: Allergy Unit, Hospital de la Vega Baja, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, Laboratorios LETI S.L., Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jcarnes@leti.com.
authors.forename: Jerónimo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carnés
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology; D012758:Shellfish / Q000009:adverse effects; D012882:Skin Tests; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; C513564:Pen a 1 allergen, Penaeus aztecus; D014335:Tropomyosin