Dictionary of Allergies .. Chironomid midges

Chironomidae resemble mosquitos, but they are non-biting midges. The larvae from Chironomus thummi thummi are used as fish food. During a study of allergy induced in patients handling this material their hemoglobin was found to be the major allergen (Chi t 1). (See Chironomids, hemoglobin of). Hypersensitivity to Chironomidae was found for the first time in Northern Sudan [1]. In Japan, 169 species of Chironomidae have been described up to 1977 (Sasa and Yamamoto 1977). Midges Swarm and dead bodies of midges break up and might be also inhaled. (See Chironomidae).

Yamashita N,  et al (1989) suggested that Chironomidae induce histamine release from leukocytes via IgE-mediated mechanism but histamine release cannot be replaced by RAST and also suggest that chironomid midge is one of the important allergens in Japan. Non-biting midges are known to contain potent inhalant allergens. Yong TS, et al (1999) examined the IgE antibody responses to the crude extract of Chironomus kiiensis adults, a dominant chironomid species in Korea. With the IgE-ELISA or passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reactions, increased levels of chironomid-specific IgE were detected in the skin test positive human sera, or immunized BALB/c mouse sera with the crude extract adsorbed to alum. IgE-immunoblot analysis showed major IgE-reacting protein band patterns, which reacted with more than 50% of the skin test positive human sera, at 110, 80, 73, 46, 40, 37, 34, and 31 kDa.

The reactive band patterns were largely similar between skin test positive humans and immune BALB/c mice. However, the bands of 55, 31, 27, 26, 24, and 23 kDa were found only in sensitized humans, but not in immunized mice.

References

Freeman, P.A.: A species of chironomid (Diptera) from Sudan suspected of causing asthma. Proc. Royal entomol. Soc. London (B) 1950: 142-158.

Yong TS, Lee JS, Lee IY, Park SJ, Park GM, Ree HI, Park JW, Hong CS, Park HS. Identification of Chironomus kiiensis allergens, a dominant species of non-biting midges in Korea. Korean J Parasitol. 1999 Sep;37(3):171-9.

Yamashita N, Morita Y, Ito K, Miyamoto T, Shibuya T, Kamei K, Sasa M. Chironomidae as a cause of IgE-mediated histamine release in patients with asthma. Ann Allergy. 1989 Aug;63(2):154-8.