Alternative Fish Species for Nutritional Management of Children with Fish-FPIES-A Clinical Approach

Abstract

In the Mediterranean region, fish is a common cause of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) in children. No laboratory tests specific to FPIES are available, and oral food challenge (OFC) is the gold standard for its diagnosis and testing for achievement of tolerance. Children with FPIES to fish are usually advised to avoid all fish, regardless of the species. Fish are typically classified into bony and cartilaginous, which are phylogenetically distant species and therefore contain less cross-reacting allergens. The protein β-parvalbumin, considered a pan-allergenic, is found in bony fish, while the non-allergenic α-parvalbumin is commonly found in cartilaginous fish. Based on this difference, as a first step in the therapeutic process of children with FPIES caused by a certain fish in the bony fish category (i.e., hake, cod, perch, sardine, gilthead sea bream, red mullet, sole, megrim, sea bass, anchovy, tuna, swordfish, trout, etc.), an OFC to an alternative from the category of cartilaginous fish is suggested (i.e., blue shark, tope shark, dogfish, monkfish, skate, and ray) and vice versa. Regarding the increased mercury content in some sharks and other large species, the maximum limit imposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for weekly mercury intake must be considered. An algorithm for the management of fish-FPIES, including alternative fish species, is proposed.

Keywords: bony fish; cartilaginous fish; fish; food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES).

Figure 1

Algorithm for the management of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) caused by fish. * bony fishes: cod (Gadus morhua), hake (Merluccius merluccius), perch (Perca fluviatilis), sardine (Sardina pilchardus), gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), red mullet (Mullus barbatus, Chelon labrosus), sole (Solea solea), megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis), sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), anchovy (Anchoa), tuna (Thunnus), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), trout (Salmo trutta); ** cartilaginous fishes: blue shark (Prionace glauca), dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicular), monkfish (angelshark—Squatina squatina), skates and rays (Raja), tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) (Information on fish species identification from www.fishbase.org (accessed on 1 November 2021) [28]).