Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be rapidly progressing and fatal, and therefore establishing its cause is pivotal to long-term risk management. Our recent work has identified a novel IgE antibody response to a mammalian oligosaccharide epitope, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). IgE to alpha-gal has been associated with 2 distinct forms of anaphylaxis: (1) immediate-onset anaphylaxis during first exposure to intravenous cetuximab and (2) delayed-onset anaphylaxis 3 to 6 hours after ingestion of mammalian food products (eg, beef and pork). Results of our studies and those of others strongly suggest that tick bites are a cause, if not the only significant cause, of IgE antibody responses to alpha-gal in the southern, eastern, and central United States; Europe; Australia; and parts of Asia. Typical immune responses to carbohydrates are considered to be T-cell independent, whereas IgE antibody production is thought to involve sequential class-switching that requires input from T cells. Therefore, establishing the mechanism of the specific IgE antibody response to alpha-gal will be an important aspect to address as this area of research continues.
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology and Allergy
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,900
Awards: G108422115, G1123719598, Dust Mite, Cockroach and Cat Allergens in Asthma, G257710434, IgE to carbohydrates causes delayed anaphylaxis, UVA Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center, G499753431, Delayed Anaphylaxis to Mammalian Meat caused by IgE Ab to alpha-gal, Delayed anaphylaxis to beef and pork: mechanisms and causes of a new food allergy, G9000099859
OpenAlex ID: W2000768707