House Dust Mite-Shrimp Allergen Interrelationships

Abstract

Purpose of review: Focusing on the strict relationship between house dust mites and crustaceans from the allergenic point of view.

Recent findings: The well-known tropomyosin was considered for years as the cross-reacting allergen between shrimp and house dust mites. In the last few years, several allergens not only in shrimps but also in house dust mite have been identified and other molecules other than tropomyosin have been shown to cross-react between crustaceans and mites. The present review investigates the very complex allergen sources in shrimp and mites, giving a satisfactorily complete picture of the interrelationships between common allergens. Several minor HDM allergens are homologous to major and minor shrimp allergens; tropomyosin is not the only cross-reactive allergen between shrimp and mites.

Keywords: Allergen interrelationship; Anaphylaxis; Asthma; House dust mite allergy; Recombinant allergens; Shrimp allergy.