The relevance of tick bites to the production of IgE antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose
Open accessAbstract
Background In 2009, we reported a novel form of delayed anaphylaxis to red meat that is related to serum IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). Most of these patients had tolerated meat for many years previously. The implication is that some exposure in adult life had stimulated the production of these IgE antibodies.Objectives We sought to investigate possible causes of this IgE antibody response, focusing on evidence related to tick bites, which are common in the region where these reactions occur.Methods Serum assays were carried out with biotinylated proteins and extracts bound to a streptavidin ImmunoCAP.Results Prospective studies on IgE antibodies in 3 subjects after tick bites showed an increase in levels of IgE to alpha-gal of 20-fold or greater. Other evidence included (1) a strong correlation between histories of tick bites and levels of IgE to alpha-gal (χ(2) = 26.8, P < .001), (2) evidence that these IgE antibodies are common in areas where the tick Amblyomma americanum is common, and (3) a significant correlation between IgE antibodies to alpha-gal and IgE antibodies to proteins derived from A americanum (r(s) = 0.75, P < .001).Conclusion The results presented here provide evidence that tick bites are a cause, possibly the only cause, of IgE specific for alpha-gal in this area of the United States. Both the number of subjects becoming sensitized and the titer of IgE antibodies to alpha-gal are striking. Here we report the first example of a response to an ectoparasite giving rise to an important form of food allergy.
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- Authors
- Commins, S. P., James, H. R., Kelly, L. A., Pochan, S. L., Workman, L. J., Perzanowski, M. S., Kocan, K. M., Fahy, J. V., Nganga, L. W., Ronmark, E., Cooper, P. J., & Platts-Mills, T. A. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia Health System (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Oklahoma State University (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KE)
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-05
- Volume
- 127
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1286-1293.e6
- ISSN
- 0091-6749 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3085643
- OpenAlex
- W2127925496
- Cited by
- 642
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 53 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 24.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (RO1 AI-20565, K08 AI085190, AI-AADCRC-U19-070364, R21 AI087985)
- Wellcome Trust (072405/Z/03/Z)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Immunology and Allergy › Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Mast cells and histamine
- Keywords
- tick bites, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, delayed anaphylaxis, red meat allergy, Amblyomma americanum, tick proteins, food allergy, IgE sensitization
- MeSH terms
- Allergens, Anaphylaxis, Animals, Disaccharides, Food Hypersensitivity, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Delayed, Immunoglobulin E, Insect Bites and Stings, Ticks, Prevalence
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