Evidence of IgE-Mediated Cross-Reactions between Anisakis simplex and Contracaecum osculatum Proteins

• Published in: Pathogens (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 8; p. 950
• Main Authors: Mehrdana, Foojan, Lavilla, María, Kania, Per Walter, Pardo, Miguel Ángel, Audicana, María Teresa, Longo, Natividad, Buchmann, Kurt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 28.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Allergens; Allergic reactions; Allergies; Anisakis; Anisakis simplex; Antibodies; Antigens; Contracaecum osculatum; cross-reactions; Cross-reactivity; Ectoparasites; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Fish; Fishery products; Food allergies; Freshwater fish; freshwater parasites; human IgE; Immunoglobulin E; In vitro methods and tests; In vivo methods and tests; Ingestion; Insects; Larvae; Mollusks; Nematodes; Parasites; Patients; Proteins; Reactivity; Skin; Skin tests; Denmark; St Louis Missouri; United States > US; Baltic Sea; Spain
• ISSN: 2076-0817; 2076-0817
• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10080950

Fish consumers may develop allergic reactions following the ingestion of fish products containing nematode larvae within the genus Anisakis. Sensitized patients may cross-react with proteins from insects, mites and mollusks, leading to allergic reactions even in the absence of the offending food. Potential cross-reactivity in Anisakis-allergic patients with larval proteins from other zoonotic parasites present in freshwater and sea fish should be investigated due to an increasing occurrence in certain fish stocks, particularly Contracaecum osculatum. In this work, we evaluated IgE-cross reactions by in vivo (skin prick tests with parasites extracts) and in vitro methods (IgE-ELISA and IgE-immunoblot). In vivo skin prick tests (SPT) proved the reactivity of Anisakis-sensitized patients when exposed to C. osculatum antigens. Sera from Anisakis-sensitized patients confirmed the reaction with somatic antigens (SA) and excretory/secretory proteins (ES) from C. osculatum. Only anecdotal responses were obtained from other freshwater worm parasites. Consequently, it is suggested that Anisakis-sensitized humans, especially patients with high levels of specific anti-Anisakis antibodies, may react to C. osculatum proteins, possibly due to IgE-mediated cross-reactivity.