α-Gal-Syndrom – nicht nur eine Fleischallergie

The α-Gal syndrome as a new type I allergy is characterized by the fact that specific IgE antibodies not targeting proteins, but the carbohydrate galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) elicit allergic reactions. High levels of α-Gal are found primarily in red mammalian meat, especially the innards. Due to delayed gastrointestinal uptake, type I anaphylaxis usually occurs with a latency of ~ 3 – 6 hours after consuming red meat. In addition to mammalian meat, drugs and medical products can also carry anaphylaxis-triggering α-Gal epitopes, depending on the manufacturing process. This group of medical products is very heterogeneous: it includes antibodies, pharmaceuticals containing gelatin such as vaccines, but also other medical products of animal origin such as biological heart valves. Depending on the amount of α-Gal in the medical product and the type of application, the risk for anaphylaxis and time at which anaphylaxis occurs differs. Actually, we aim to identify patients at risk at as well as high-risk drugs for α-Galinduced anaphylaxis. We could show that invitro tests such as the basophil activation test (BAT) are useful additional screening tools for the allergenicity of α-Gal-containing medical products.