Diagnosis in gastro-allergic
anisakiasis (GAA) is straightforward, when clinical history is combined with further allergological evaluation of specific
IgE by means of skin prick test and serum specific
IgE. In Anisakis simplex sensitisation associated
chronic urticaria (CU+), clinical evaluation of possible previous parasitism is difficult, and positive serum specific
IgE could be due to cross-reactivity or other unknown factors. In this study, we evaluated the association between
IgE seropositivity to the recombinant
allergens Ani s 1 and Ani s 7 and several A. simplex-associated allergic disorders. Twenty-eight patients with GAA and 40 patients with CU+ were studied and their
IgE responses were compared with a control group composed of patients with
chronic urticaria not sensitized to A. simplex (CU-) according to the skin prick test, as well as a group of 15 healthy subjects not referring
urticaria or currently A. simplex associated symptoms. 82.1% of GAA patients and 42.5% of CU+ patients were positive for Ani s 1 (P < 0.001), while the Ani s 7
allergen was recognized by 92.9 and 92.5% of sera from patients with GAA and CU+, respectively. The combined positivity obtained for both
allergens reached 100% in GAA, and 95% in CU+.
IgE determinations to Ani s 1 and Ani s 7
allergens are useful to diagnose the
Anisakis infections and to differentiate among several A. simplex-associated allergic disorders. The
IgE responses to Ani s 1 are mainly associated with GAA, while this molecule cannot be considered a major
allergen in CU+ patients.