Plaice is a food which may result in allergy symptoms in sensitised individuals.

Plaice Allergy Test: Allergen Exposure

Plaice is a common name for a group of flatfish which includes the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice. The most commercially important species are the European and American plaice, which are widely caught and consumed as a food fish. Plaice is available fresh or frozen and can be bought whole or as fillets.

It is one of the most commonly consumed fish in Danish and Northern German cuisine, where it is usually filleted, battered and fried, and then dressed with lemon and remoulade and used as a topping for open sandwiches.

It may also be battered and deep fried, and then served with french fries, in a similar way to the British dish fish and chips. Frozen plaice fillets or breaded plaice are widely available in supermarkets as a convenience food.

In the United Kingdom, plaice may be offered in fish and chip restaurants as an alternative to the more commonly consumed haddock or cod. In other restaurants it may be served pan-seared or roasted. In Italy, it is commonly served with potatoes, anchovies, lemon and capers.

Plaice is high in protein and also contains thiamine, vitamin B7 and B12, and selenium. It is very low in saturated fat.

Plaice Allergy Test: Allergen Description

No specific allergens present in plaice have been characterised, although a number of proteins have been identified.

Plaice Allergy Test: Potential Cross-Reactivity

Species within groups of fish, like Gadiformes (examples: codfish and hake) and Scombroid fishes (examples: mackerel and tuna) seem to share allergenic components. The overlap of allergen specificity between the groups seems to be moderate or even small.

Cross-reactivity to plaice within the order Pleuronectiformes can therefore be expected, which includes flounders, soles, turbot, and halibut.

Plaice Allergy Test: Clinical Experience

Specific IgE antibodies to plaice have been measured in atopic dermatitis patients, and in food-allergic children.

Sensitisation to fish allergen is common. Fish, including plaice, is a potential cause of food allergy and atopic dermatitis.

Immediate allergic reactions may follow ingestion of even minute amounts of fish.

Symptoms can include oral allergy syndrome, generalised urticaria, facial angioedema and anaphylaxis.

Because patients react to both cooked and raw fish, it is assumed the allergens are heat-resistant. However, more recent studies indicate that patients may react differently to processed food and that allergic reactions may be species-specific.

It has been reported that some fish allergic persons can exhibit allergic symptoms due to the steam (airborne allergens) from cooking fish.

Other reactions

Acute anisakiasis as a result of the larvae of the fish parasite Anisakis simplex may occur following ingestion of undercooked or raw plaice.

Symptoms can include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention, diarrhea, blood and mucus in stool, and mild fever. Allergic reactions with rash and itching, and infrequently, anaphylaxis, can also occur.

Fish allergy is sometimes confused with a reaction to histamine in spoiled fish.