D1.19 - Contribution of Panallergens to Edible Insect Reactivity in Mite-Sensitized Individuals

Insects, consumed by approximately two billion people globally, represent a sustainable alternative to traditional animal proteins. While research has primarily focused on occupational insect allergies, understanding the potential allergenic risks associated with edible insects is crucial for food safety. This study investigates the molecular profiles of patients sensitized to edible insects within a subtropical population exposed to house dust and storage mites, but with no prior conscious consumption of insect proteins.

Patients selected for data analysis were characterized by sensitization to at least one insect extract—crickets (Acheta domesticus, Ad), migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria, Lm), or mealworms (Tenebrio molitor, Tm)—and by the detection of any of the 17 mite molecules using the Allergy Explorer-ALEX®-2 platform (MacroArray Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria), according to the manufacturer's protocol. Subjects sensitized to any seafood allergens detected by the microarray (Pen m 1, Pen m 2, Cra c 6, Pen m 3, or Pen m 4) were excluded from the study.

Between March 2023 and September 2024, 50 non-consecutive patients from the Outpatient Allergy Clinic and Severe Asthma Unit at Hospital Universitario de Canarias in Tenerife, Spain, who exhibited concomitant sensitization to Ad, Lm, and/or Tm, were included. Thirteen of the 50 patients (26.0%) showed sensitization to one or more of the following panallergens: tropomyosin (22 identified molecules)—Ani s 3 (45.45%), Der p 10 (4.54%), Blo t 10 (31.81%), and/or Per a 7 (18.18%)—and arginine kinase (9 molecules)—Bla g 9 (66.66%) and Der p 20 (33.33%). No sensitization to Der p 11 was observed. Notably, 37 patients (74.0%) who were insect-reactive exhibited no sensitization to any of the molecules included in the microarray panel.

IgE-mediated sensitization to edible insect extracts was observed in individuals with mite sensitivity, despite the absence of apparent prior exposure to these foods. Although tropomyosin (Blo t 10 and Der p 10) and arginine kinase (Der p 20) emerged as the most relevant mite molecular sources in the investigated population, the majority of insect-reactive individuals could not be identified using the currently available microarray tools.