Instructor
Scott Commins, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Description
Alpha gal syndrome (AGS) is an increasingly prevalent condition in the United States and across the globe. This presentation provides an overview of Alpha gal syndrome (AGS), including these topics: definition and pathophysiology of the condition, clinical presentation of this allergy, diagnostic testing, and information on how to assist patients in the management of their condition.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize a clinical history consistent with alpha-gal syndrome
- Understand how to diagnose alpha-gal syndrome
- Recognize the risk factors that may lead to a patient developing alpha-gal syndrome
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Discuss management options and proper avoidance diet for patients with alpha-gal syndrome
Accreditation Statement
This session, Basics of Alpha-gal Allergy, is approved for 0.75 enduring AAFP Prescribed credits.
The AAFP has reviewed One Health Medical Education for a Changing Climate, and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. Term of approval is from 05/15/2025 to 05/14/2026. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™ toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.
Evidence-based bibliography for further study
- Sharma SR, et al. Identification of Alpha-Gal glycolipids in saliva of Lone-Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum). Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2024;15:102384. PMID: 39053323.
- Jensen L, Ushinsky A. Management of Acute Hemorrhage without the Use of Mammalian Products in a Patient with Alpha-Gal Syndrome. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2024;35:1242-1244. PMID: 38704138.
- Leder J, et al. Perioperative Considerations in Alpha-Gal Syndrome: A Review. Cureus. 2024 30;16:e53208. PMID: 38425598; PMCID: PMC10902671.
- Sharma SR, et al. Tick bite-induced alpha-gal syndrome and immunologic responses in an alpha-gal deficient murine model. Front Immunol. 2024 8;14:1336883. PMID: 38390396; PMCID: PMC10882631.
- Taylor ML, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for alpha-gal syndrome in a case-control study, 2019 to 2020. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2024;132:759-764. PMID: 38341029; PMCID: PMC11318600.
- Carpenter A, et al. Health Care Provider Knowledge Regarding Alpha-gal Syndrome - United States, March-May 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72:809-814. PMID: 37498792; PMCID: PMC10390085.
- Kersh GJ, et al. Tick bite as a risk factor for alpha-gal-specific immunoglobulin E antibodies and development of alpha-gal syndrome. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2023;130:472-478. PMID: 36574585; PMCID: PMC10148555.
- Binder AM, et al. Clinical and laboratory features of patients diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome-2010-2019. Allergy. 2023;78:477-487. PMID: 36178236; PMCID: PMC10092820.
- McGill SK, Richards RD Jr, Commins SP. Suddenly Steakless: A Gastroenterologist's Guide to Managing Alpha-Gal Allergy. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022;117:822-826. PMID: 35404302.
- Houchens N, et al. Hunting for a Diagnosis. N Engl J Med. 2021;384:462-467. PMID: 33534979; PMCID: PMC9306225.
- Binder AM, et al. Diagnostic testing for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, United States, 2010 to 2018. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2021;126:411-416. PMID: 33422649; PMCID: PMC10961706.
- Commins SP. Diagnosis & management of alpha-gal syndrome: lessons from 2,500 patients. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2020;16:667-677. PMID: 32571129; PMCID: PMC8344025.
About the Instructor
Scott P. Commins, MD, PhD
Dr. Commins sees patients in the UNC allergy clinic and maintains an active research laboratory. His primary research and clinical interest is alpha-gal syndrome (“red meat allergy”). This unique food allergy appears to be brought on by tick bites and can develop at any time throughout life, even after many years of enjoying beef, pork or lamb. Patients develop an allergic response to the sugar alpha-gal and the resulting allergic reactions are often delayed 3-6 hours after eating mammalian meat. Dr. Commins often sees patients in the allergy clinic with difficult to diagnose food allergies or allergic reactions. In the research laboratory, the primary question being investigated is the role of the skin and resident cells, including mast cells and basophils, in allergic immune responses. We explore this overarching theme through the lens of alpha-gal syndrome.