Food allergy to Helix terrestre (snail)
de la Cuesta, C.G.; García, B.E.; Córdoba, H.; Diéguez, I.; Oehling, A.
Allergologia et Immunopathologia 17(6): 337-339
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-0546 PMID: 2483972 Document Number: 327368
The findings of an allergic study of 10 patients with food allergy to snails (Helix terrestre) during the past 10 years is presented. After intake of Helix terrestre, 80% of patients had bronchial asthma. 6 of them had none of the digestive or skin symptoms normally seen in food allergy. 2 patients also had reactions to Patella vulgata (limpet) which is in the same phylogenetic line of molluscs. Skin tests to seafoods (squid, prawns, lobsters and clams) were negative for all patients. This suggests that the sensitizing antigen is probably a protein found only in gastropod molluscs.