engleski

Foodborne nematode Anisakis pegreffii represents a professional risk in the Croatian fishery industry

The Croatian fish processing industry is an important sector encompassing almost 800 employees mainly situated in the Adriatic coastal area, with a tendency for growth since Croatia’s entrance into the EU market. We determined the degree of sensitization to Anisakis sp. antigens in the population of fishery industry professionals and the phenotype frequency of Anisakis-seropositive individuals through a study funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (grant no. 5576). IgE seroprevalence to Anisakis sp. Ani s l and Ani s 7 allergens was measured by indirect ELISA in the sera of fishery industry professionals employed at ten facilities in the Split-Dalmatia, Zadar, and Istria Counties. In total, 1008 individuals of which 448 represented the non-professional population (negative control), consented to blood drawing and filled the accompanying questionnaire. Furthermore, Anisakis IgE positive subjects and their negative controls inhabiting the same region were typed for human leukocyte antigens (HLA) Class II DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 using the PCR-SSO and PCR-SSP method. Total anti-Anisakis seroprevalence reached 0.99 % (1.09 % including one marginal sample), 0.39 % of both allergens, and 0.69 % of only Ani s 7 allergen, suggesting the latter is an immunodominant allergen. HLA typing revealed the presence of DRB1*1502- DQB1*0601 haplotype, previously observed in higher frequency in Anisakis hypersensitive patients. Although professionals in Croatian fishery industry have shown a lower presence of anti-Anisakis IgE circulating antibodies compared to the previously reported healthy population of the Split-Dalmatia County (N=500, 1.5 % anti-Anisakis IgE seroprevalence), we have shown that A. pegreffii represents a professional risk that requires careful future monitoring. The Ani s 7 allergen with a shorter life span than Ani s 1 has been previously reported also as immunodominant allergen, mainly in patients with chronic urticaria.

ELISA ; HLA ; PCR-SSO.PCR-SSP ; occupational health ; seroprevalence

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