I had no idea people could become allergic to cockroach antigens. That surprised me. It makes sense that they would act as an immunological adjuvant in the presence of the bacteria the cockroaches carry. If you activate the immune system defenses in the presence of a non-self epitope (or sometimes even self in autoimmune diseases), you're going to pick up antigen recognition.

Immunology is a subject all on its own right. Rife with complexities to unravel for centuries to come.

It really sucks that this would take lobster off the menu. I don't have the money or palate to eat them, and I haven't thought much about the ethical questions of boiling them, but what an interesting and long-winded evolutionary anecdote. It's so absurd it feels like a joke. Biology never ceases to be fascinating...