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Shellfish Allergy: Unmet Needs in Diagnosis and Treatment

Gelis S1, Rueda M2, Valero A1, Fernández EA3, Moran M3, Fernández-Caldas E3,4

1Department of Pneumology and Allergy, Hospital Clínic, Institut d´Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
2Allergology Department, Hospital Quirónsalud, Barcelona, Spain
3Inmunotek SL, Madrid, Spain
4University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2020; Vol 30(6) : 409-420
doi: 10.18176/jiaci.0565

Seafood is a major cause of food allergy and anaphylaxis worldwide. Shellfish is included among the “big eight” food groups, which are responsible for more than 90% of all cases of food allergy. Approximately 2.5% of the world’s population has experienced an adverse reaction to seafood. Seafood allergy is one of the most frequent and lethal allergies that exist.
The several allergenic proteins involved in allergic reactions that have been described in recent years include tropomyosin, arginine kinase, myosin light chain, and sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein. Despite all the data reported in the last few years, shellfish allergy is still diagnosed and treated as it was 50 years ago. The only effective treatment to prevent allergic reactions to shellfish is avoidance.
This review aims to update recently published data on shellfish allergy and to highlight those areas that have yet to be resolved.

Key words: Shellfish, Shrimp, Allergy, Allergens, Diagnosis, Food allergy