Abstract
Hypersensitivity to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) is an informative example of a pathologic IgE-mediated process. By way of their saliva, ticks are able to sensitize humans to tick dietary elements that express α-gal. Mites, which along with ticks constitute the phyletic subclass Acari, feed on proteinaceous foodstuffs that represent most, if not all, human allergens. Given: (1) the gross nature of the pathophysiological reactions of allergy, especially anaphylaxis, (2) the allergenicity of acarian foodstuffs, and (3) the relatedness of ticks and mites, it has been hypothesized that human-acarian interactions are cardinal to the pathogenesis of allergy. In this report, a means by which such interactions contribute to that pathogenesis is proposed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 1220 |
Journal | Pathogens |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2021 |
Funding
Funding: This research was supported in part by funding to GSR from the Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.
Keywords
- Acari hypothesis
- Fibrinogen-related protein (FReP)
- IgE
- Interspecies operability
- Ixoderin
- Mites
- Ticks
- Vector
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunology and Allergy