(Study of the Day) The tick that turns you into a Vegetarian

Every Single Day I post a research study, because there are millions of them, in order for you to be aware of a study you may have otherwise not have herd of. The thing about the research I'm posting is that I'm not going to give you an opinion or tell you what the study says in my own words, instead I'm simply going to give you access to the full research study.

I think that giving someone the first hand research on any topic is more valuable than trying to simplify it which could compromise the proper information about the research. Also in every study there is already a discussion that explains the results and the possible implications so you can simply just read it for your self.

The alpha-gal story: Lessons learned from connecting the dots

John W. Steinke, PhD, Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills, MD, PhD, FRScorrespondenceEmail the author MD, PhD, FRS Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills, Scott P. Commins, MD, PhD

Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center, Carter Immunology Center, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Va

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.12.1947

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http://www32.zippyshare.com/v/S6GnelCA/file.html

Summary:
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.

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