Abstract
A wide variety of fish are known to induce allergic reactions following ingestion or inhalation of vapors by sensitized individuals. Although the exact prevalence of fish sensitivity is not known, fish are among the most important food allergens; and as consumption of fish increases, rates of sensitization are expected to increase. Diagnosis of fish allergy is aided by clinical history, skin prick testing, and in vitro assays; however, double-blind placebocontrolled food challenges are the most reliable method to confirm fish allergy and to identify putative species. It appears from RAST inhibition and SDS-PAGE/Western blot studies that the current policy of recommending that fish-sensitive individuals avoid all species of fish should be reevaluated.
The major allergen in codfish (Gad cI) is one of the most extensively studied of all allergens. It is a calcium-chelating protein, with a mol wt of 12,328 kDa and an isoeiectric point of 4.75. As an allergen,Gad cI is very stable and its allergenic activity appears to be dependent on amino acid sequence. Crossreactivity among some fish species may be the result of common structures within related proteins.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gilbert, R. J., Hobbs, G., Murray, C. K., Cruickshank, J. G., and Young, S. E. J. (1980),Br. Med. J. 281, 71, 72.
Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch. Allergy 29, 346–363.
Bock, S. A., Lee, W. Y., Remigio, L. K., and May, C. D. (1978),J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 62, 327–334.
Sampson H. A. and McCaskill C. C. (1985),J. Pediatr. 107, 669–675.
Dannaeus, A., Johansson, S. G. O., Foucard, T., and Ohman, S. (1977),Acta Paediatr. Scand. 66, 31–37.
Q’Neil, C. E. and Lehrer S. B. (1991),Food Allergy: Adverse Reactions to Foods and Additives (Metcalfe, D. D., Sampson, H. A., and Simon, R. A., eds.), Blackwell Scientific, Boston, MA, pp. 207–235.
Saarinen, U. M. and Kajosaari, M. (1980),Lancet 1, 166, 167.
de Martino, M., Novembre, E., Galli, L., de Marco, A., Botarelli, P., Marano, E., and Vierucci, A. (1990),J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 86, 909–914.
Kajosaari, M. (1982),Acta Paediatr. Scand. 71, 815–819.
Saavedra-Delgado, A. M., and Metcalfe, D. D. (1984),N. Engl. Reg. Allergy Proc. 5, 231–236.
Bernhisel-Broadbent, J., Scanton, S. M., and Sampson, H. A. (1992),J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 89, 730–737.
Aas, K. and Jebsen, J. W. (1967),Int. Arch. Allergy 32, 1–20.
Metcalfe, D. D. and Sampson, H. A. (1990),J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 86, 429–431.
Helbling, A., McCants, M. L., Schwartz, H. J., and Lehrer, S. B. (submitted for publication).
Yunginger, J. W., Sweeney, K. G., Sturner, W. Q., Giannandrea, L. A., Teigland, J. D., Bray, M., Benson, P. A., York, J. A., Biedrzycki, L., Squillance, D. L., and Helm, R. M. (1988),JAMA 260, 1450–1452.
Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch. Allergy 30, 1–14.
Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch. Allergy 29, 453–469.
DeBesche, A. (1937),Acta Med. Scand. 92, 237–255.
Williams, P. B., Nolte, H., Dolen, W. K., Koepke, J. W., and Seiner J. C. (1992),J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 89, 738–745.
Bernhisel-Broadbent, J., Strause, D., and Sampson, H. A. (1992),J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 90, 622–629.
Aas, K. and Lundkvist, U. (1973),Clin. Allergy 3, 255–261.
Sampson, H. A. and Metcalfe, D. D. (1991),Food Allergy: Adverse Reactions to Foods and Food Additives. (Metcalfe, D. D., Sampson, H. A., and Simon, R. A., eds.), Blackwell Scientific, Boston, MA, pp. 99–112.
Tuft, L. and Bluxnstein, G. I. (1946),J. Allergy 17, 329–339.
Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch. Allergy 30, 257–267.
Dybendal, T., Vik, H., and Elsayed, S. (1989),Allergy 44, 401–411.
Helbling, A., Lopez, M., and Lehrer, S. B.Int. Arch. Allergy Clin. Immunol. (submitted for publication).
Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch. Allergy 29, 536–552.
Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch. Allergy 30, 190–208.
Dolen, T. and Aas, K. (1966),Int. Arch, Allergy 30, 405–415.
Aas, K. (1967),Int Arch. Allergy 31, 239–260.
Aas, K. and Elsayed, S. M. (1969),J. Allergy 44, 333–343.
Elsayed, S. and Aas, K. (1971),J. Allergy 47, 283–291.
Elsayed, S. and Aas, K. (1970),Int Arch. Allergy 38, 536–548.
Elsayed, S. and Aas, K. (1971),Int Arch. Allergy 40, 428–438.
Elsayed, S., Aas, K., and Christensen, T. (1971),Int Arch. Allergy 40, 439–447.
Elsayed, S., Aas, K., Sletten, K., and Johansson, S. G. O. (1972),Immunochemistry 9, 647–661.
Elsayed, S., Sletten, K., and Aas, K. (1973)Immunochemistry 10, 701–705.
Aukrust, L., Apold, J., Elsayed, S., and Aas, K. (1978),Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol. 57, 253–262.
Demaille, J., Outrage, E., Capony, J. P., and Pechere, J. (1974),Calcium Binding Proteins (Drabikowski, W. E., Strzelecka-Golazzewska, H., and Carafoli, E., eds.), Elsevier Scientific, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, p. 643.
Kretsinger, R. H. (1974),Perspecitves in Membrane Biology (Estrada, S. and Coarlos Gitler, O., eds.), Academic, New York, NY, p.?
Kretsinger, R. H. and Nockolds, C. (1973),J. Biol. Chem. 248, 3313.
Aas, K. and Elsayed, S. (1975),Dev. Biol. Stand. 29, 90–98.
Elsayed, S. and Bennich, H. (1975),Scand. J. Immunol. 4, 203–208.
Elsayed, S., Bahr-Lindstrom, H. V., and Bennich, H. (1974),Scand. J. Immunol. 3, 683–686.
Elsayed, S., Apold, J., Aas, K., and Bennich H. (1976),Int. Arch. Allergy Appl Immunol. 52, 59–63.
Apold, J. and Elsayed, S. (1979),Molec. Immunol. 18, 205–211.
Elsayed, S. and Apold, J. (1983),Allergy 38, 449–459.
Apold, J. and Elsayed, S. (1980),Molec. Immunol 17, 291–296.
Apold, J. and Elsayed, S. (1977),Molec. Immunol. 16, 559–564.
Elsayed, S., Apold, J. (1977),Int. Arch. Allergy Appl Immunol. 54, 171–175.
Elsayed, S., Titlestad, K., Apold, J., Aas, K. (1980),Scand. J. Immunol. 12, 171–175.
Elsayed, S., Sornes, S., Apold, J., Vik, H., and Florvaag, E. (1982),Scand. J. Immunol 16, 77–82.
Elsayed, S., Ragnarsson, U., Apold, J., Florvaag, E., and Vik, H. (1981),Scand. J. Immunol. 14, 207–211.
Elsayed, S. and Apold, J. (1980),Allergy 35, 202, 203.
Sharath, M. D., Metzger, W. J., Richerson, H. B., Scupham, R. K., Meng, R. L., Ginsberg, B. H., and Weiler, J. M. (1985),J. Thorac. Cardiouasc. Surg. 90, 86–90.
Chung, F. and Miles, J. (1984),Can. Anaesth. Soc. J. 31, 314–318.
Tobin, M. C., Karns, B. K., Anselmino, L. M., and Thomas, L. L. (1986),Molec. Immunol. 3, 245–253.
Siegel, J., Rent, R., and Gewurz, H. (1974),J. Exp. Med. 140, 631–647.
Takada, A. and Takada Y. (1980),Thromh Res. 18, 847–859.
Knape, J. T. A., Schuller, J. L., deHaan, P., deJong, A. P., and Bovill J. G. (1981),Anesthesiology 55, 324, 325.
Caplan, S. N. and Beckman E. M. (1976),N. Engl J. Med. 295, 172.
Stewart, W. J., McSweeny, S. M., Kellet, M. A., Faxon, D. P., and Ryan T. J. (1984),Circulation 70, 788–792.
Levy, J. H., Zaidan, J. R., and Faraj, R. (1986),Anesth. Analg. 65, 739–742.
Greenberger, P. A., Patterson, R., Tobin, M. C., Liotta, J. L., and Roberts, M. (1989),Am. J. Med. Sci. 298, 104–108.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O’Neil, C., Helbling, A.A. & Lehrer, S.B. Allergic reactions to fish. Clinical Reviews in Allergy 11, 183–200 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02914470
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02914470