Haemaphysalis longicornis tick bites are a possible cause of red meat allergy in Japan |
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| Authors: | Y. Chinuki K. Ishiwata K. Yamaji H. Takahashi E. Morita |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Dermatology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Shimane, Japan;2. Department of Tropical Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Recent studies revealed that Amblyomma or Ixodes tick bites may cause red meat allergy, in which galactose‐α‐1,3‐galactose (α‐Gal) is a major IgE‐binding epitope. The incidence of red meat allergy is high in Shimane Prefecture, as is tick‐transmitted Japanese spotted fever. Therefore, we speculated that tick bites may cause these meat allergies. The carbohydrate α‐Gal was detected in the salivary gland protein of Haemaphysalis longicornis (H. longicornis), the vector for Japanese spotted fever, by immunoblotting using anti‐α‐Gal antibody. H. longicornis salivary gland protein‐specific IgE was detected in the sera of 24 of 30 patients with red meat allergies. Sensitization to tick salivary gland protein containing α‐Gal is possibly a major etiology of red meat allergy; the carbohydrate plays a crucial role in its allergenicity. These results further indicate that the α‐Gal epitope is present not only in Amblyomma or Ixodes, but also in Haemaphysalis. |
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| Keywords: | Galactose‐α ‐1,3‐galactose (α ‐Gal)
Haemaphysalis longicornis
Japanese spotted fever red meat allergy salivary gland |
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