New research on seafood has identified one of the proteins responsible for the body’s reaction to seafood and, more specifically, can isolate whether an allergy is to crustaceans or molluscs.
Key points:
- Tropomyosin is found in mollusks but not in shellfish
- Current puncture tests may be inaccurate
- Future seafood allergy tests could help patients identify their trigger foods
Someone diagnosed with a seafood allergy should avoid all varieties of aquatic creatures, but the breakthrough means patients could further isolate their intolerance.
A new study from James Cook University and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute has identified one of the proteins responsible for seafood allergies.
Tropomyosin is a protein found in the muscle tissue of mollusks, such as abalone, oysters, and octopuses, but not in crustaceans.
Severine Navarro says the research means that diagnoses of food allergies need to be reviewed. (Supplied by: QIMR Berghofer)
QIMR Berghofer associate professor Severine Navarro said allergy testing meant people were “falling through the cracks.”
A seafood allergy is diagnosed with a skin test, exposing the patient to prawns, but a protein found in mollusks can also cause a separate reaction.
Dr. Navarro said the evidence is often inaccurate.
“Patients may show negative allergy to seafood in tests when they are really allergic, just to a different species,” he said.
Crustaceans vs. mollusks
Professor Andreas Lopata, head of the JCU Molecular Allergy Research Laboratory, says shrimp allergy is widespread.
“Mollusk allergy is not uncommon, but it can be independent of shrimp,” Dr. Lopata said.
Dr. Lopata said some people could also test positive for both types of seafood.
“While both are some kind of food allergy, a crustacean allergy seems to be different from an abalone and muscle allergy.”
Each crustacean has a different protein fingerprint. (ABC News: Bec Whetham)
Dr. Lopata said future tests, which would include exposure to shellfish, crustaceans and mollusks, would mean patients could identify their trigger foods.
“A specific diagnosis will allow people to eat certain types of seafood but avoid those that are causing their allergy,” he said.
“[It] it could be a prawn, it could be an oyster or it could be a mussel. “
The future of testing
Dr. Lopata said the protein chain of an oyster was different from that of an octopus, meaning that tests could be tested for each animal.
“It will allow us to develop much better tests,” he said.
The next step would be to provide the protein to the diagnostic companies so that patients can identify what types of mollusks and crustaceans are on the menu.
Local news directly to your inbox
ABC North West Qld will deliver a summary of the week’s news, stories and photos every Tuesday. Register here
Posted 1 hour ago 1 hour Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 9:21 PM, updated 1 hour, 1 hour ago, Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 9:24 PM