RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Shellfish hypersensitivity is among the most common food allergies. The allergens tropomyosin (TM) and arginine kinase (AK) from mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) were purified to homogeneity. BALB/c female mice were sensitized with TM and AK by intragastric administration. Mice treated with normal saline served as the negative control (NC) group. RESULTS: Compared with NC group, mice that were treated with TM and AK developed reduced activity; meanwhile, their scratching behavior and specific-IgE level were increased. Specific-CD4 + T cells were significantly elevated in the splenocyte cultures of the mice upon TM and AK stimulation. However, compared with the positive control group (ovalbumin, OVA), there was no significant difference. The expression of IL-4 in culture cells stimulated by TM, AK, and OVA group showed significant differences from the NC group, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that a BALB/c mouse model for sensitization to TM and AK from mud crab was successfully established, and the Th2 response was observed, displaying increased immunoglobulin E levels, together with the production of interleukin 4 and allergic symptoms.