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Background:
Allergic reactions
to food can be
produced by
contaminants that
induce sensitization.
Among these,
Anisakis simplex can
cause seafood
infestation, and
allergic symptoms
(urticariaangioedema,
anaphylaxis, and
asthma) can follow
the eating or
handling of affected
fish. Although
seafood is the
principal source of
human infections by
this parasite, we
have found allergic
symptoms in 8
patients previously
diagnosed
as having A simplex
sensitization after
they ate chicken
meat. Chicken feed
usually has a high
proportion of
fishmeal, which
might possibly be
contaminated by this
nematode.
Objective:
The aim of our study
was to determine
whether parasite
proteins present in
chicken meat could
be responsible for
the symptoms
reported by these
subjects.
Methods: We
carried out in vivo
tests (prick,
bronchial challenge,
and double-blind
placebo-controlled
challenge with meat
chicken) in these 8
patients. We
performed
immunoblotting using
the sera from the 8
patients and
controls in order to
detect A simplex
sensitization. We
also investigated
the presence of A
simplex proteins in
sera
from chickens fed
with fishmeal and in
other sera from
chickens fed only
with cereals. We
excluded
sensitization to
other chicken
nematodes by
serologic methods.
Results: All
8 patients presented
positive prick and
challenges to A
simplex. When we
used serum from
chickens fed with
fishmeal as the
antigen in blotting,
patients 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, and 8 recognized
a band of 16 kd,
also obtained when
using pools of fishshellfish
and A simplex larva.
No detection was
observed with sera
from chickens fed
with only cereals.
Conclusion:
We provide evidence,
based on in vivo and
in vitro tests, that
subjects highly
sensitized to A
simplex can detect
the presence of
Anisakis species
allergens in chicken
meat.
Key words:
Anisakis simplex.
Allergy to fish,
fishmeal, chicken,
nematodes. |
