Surprisingly large number of people may have marker for tick-linked meat allergy
摘要
一项发表于《发病率与死亡率周报》的研究显示，美国部分地区高达30%的人可能携带由蜱虫叮咬引发的红肉过敏抗体，远超此前估计的过敏患者数量。该抗体属于IgE类，攻击非灵长类哺乳动物细胞及蜱虫唾液中的alpha-gal双糖分子。美国疾控中心此前估计仅0.14%人口（约45万人）患有此过敏症，但新发现表明更多美国人面临风险，同时凸显对该疾病认知不足及诊断挑战。
In some parts of the US, up to 30 percent of people may carry the antibody behind a red meat allergy spurred by tick bites, far exceeding the estimated number of people who actually have the allergy, according a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The findings suggest far more Americans than previously thought may be at risk of the allergy, which can make having a hamburger for dinner a potentially life-threatening choice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has previously estimated that only 0.14 percent of the US population (up to 450,000 people) has the allergy. But the study also highlights how little we understand about this unique disease—and the challenges of accurately diagnosing it.
The study surveyed blood donations for the disease's key antibody, which is in a class dubbed IgE and specifically attacks a double-sugar molecule called galactose-α-1,3-galactose, also known as alpha-gal. This disaccharide is found decorating the cells of nonprimate mammals, including cows and pigs, but it's also released in the saliva of ticks, particularly the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). People bitten by ticks can develop IgE antibodies against alpha-gal, which can sometimes trigger an allergic response to eating red meat as well as other animal products, such as dairy and gelatin.
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