Current Immunological and Molecular Biological Perspectives on Seafood Allergy: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Seafood is an important component in human diet and nutrition worldwide. However, seafood also constitutes one of the most important groups of foods in the induction of immediate (type I) food hypersensitivity, which significantly impacts the quality of life and healthcare cost. Extensive efforts within the past two decades have revealed the molecular identities and immunological properties of the major fish and shellfish allergens. The major allergen involved in allergy and cross-reactivity among different fish species was identified as parvalbumin while that responsible for shellfish (crustaceans and mollusks) allergy was identified as tropomyosin. The cloning and expression of the recombinant forms of these seafood allergens facilitate the investigation on the detailed mechanisms leading to seafood allergies, mapping of IgE-binding epitopes, and assessment of their allergenicity and stability. Future research focusing on the immunological cross-reactivity and discovery of novel allergens will greatly facilitate the management of seafood allergies and the design of effective and life-long allergen-specific immunotherapies.

Current Status of the Red King Crab (Paralithodes camtchaticus) and Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio) Industries in Norway

“…Moreover, tropomyosin is able to withstand most known food processing techniques . Due to the presence of similar IgE-binding epitopes, cross-reactivity between crustaceans like lobster, crab, and shrimp, has been reported (Motoyama et al 2007;Leung et al, 2014). Consumers allergic to other crustacean species should therefore be cautious of consuming SC and RKC.…”

Heterogeneity in Allergy to Mollusks: A Clinical-Immunological Study in a Population From the North of Spain

“…As is the case in crustaceans, tropomyosin appears to be the most important allergen identified to date in the 3 classes of mollusk [4]. The protein paramyosin has also been identified [5].…”

“…Given the high levels of consumption of shellfish and their early introduction into the diet in southeast Asia and Japan, a large number of studies on mollusk allergy in this area have been published [4].…”

“…The protein paramyosin has also been identified [5]. However, a considerable number of allergens remain unidentified [4].…”

Databases and Associated Bioinformatic Tools in Studies of Food Allergens, Epitopes and Haptens – a Review

“…This is a commonly occurring phenomenon [Minkiewicz et al, 2015]. The database also enables performing calculations, such as epitope profi les, i.e., determining the location of epitopes in a protein sequence, known as in silico epitope mapping [Leung et al, 2014]. The database may be suitable for the determination of epitope profi les for potential allergens belonging to families grouping proteins with amino acid sequences containing many common fragments such as caseins [Erhardt et al, 2016], tropomyosins [Marti et al, 2007] or prolamins [Minkiewicz et al, 2015].…”