 |
| Allergy to crustaceans is complicated, and can differ depending whether the food is cooked or raw. |
Allergy to crustaceans, such as crab and prawns, is a major cause of food induced anaphylaxis. To more accurately diagnose and treat crustacean allergies, investigation into the underlying immunological mechanisms that cause the allergy is necessary.
Researchers within the Monash University Departments of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine (AIRMed) and of Immunology and Pathology have published a paper investigating the effect of cooking of crab and prawn species on immune cells involved in the allergic response.
For the first time, this study looked at the response of four different immune cell subsets – CD4+, CD8+, and CD56+ lymphocytes, and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells - to raw and cooked crustaceans in crustacean-allergic individuals.
