Leth-Møller Katja Biering, Hansen Frida Richter, van Hage Marianne, Thomsen Simon Francis, Linneberg Allan, Kjær Lene Jung
Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital-Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Division of Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob. 2025 May 27;4(3):100500. doi: 10.1016/j.jacig.2025.100500. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The α-gal syndrome is a food allergy to galactose-α-1,3-galactose present in mammalian meat; it usually develops after tick bites. Despite being considered an emerging health problem, little is known about the geographic risk factors and patterns of α-gal sensitization.
The aim of this study was to assess geographic clusters of α-gal sensitization and determine whether distance from home address to the forest and tick abundance are risk factors for α-gal sensitization in a Danish adult population.
We utilized 3 population-based health examination studies that were conducted in 2011-2017 and covered a total of 8742 participants living in a suburban area. All participants were screened for a level of serum-specific IgE to α-gal of 0.1 kU/L or higher. Their home addresses were linked with CORINE Land Cover data and a tick prediction model. The associations of (1) distance to the forest and (2) tick abundance with α-gal sensitization were assessed by using multivariable logistic regression.
There were 344 cases of galactose-α-1,3-galactose-specific IgE level being 0.1 kU/L; we identified 1 geographic cluster of cases. For every 1 km closer a participant lived to the forest, the odds ratio of α-gal sensitization was 1.09 (95% CI = 1.05-1.13). There were no associations between predicted tick nymph abundance and α-gal sensitization.
In a general, individuals residing in a suburban area had 9% higher odds of being sensitized to α-gal the closer they lived to a forest, thus supporting exposure to ticks as a risk factor for sensitization to α-gal.
α-半乳糖综合征是一种对哺乳动物肉类中存在的半乳糖-α-1,3-半乳糖的食物过敏；它通常在被蜱叮咬后发生。尽管被认为是一个新出现的健康问题，但关于α-半乳糖致敏的地理风险因素和模式知之甚少。
本研究的目的是评估α-半乳糖致敏的地理聚集情况，并确定在丹麦成年人群中，从家庭住址到森林的距离和蜱的丰度是否是α-半乳糖致敏的风险因素。
我们利用了2011年至2017年进行的3项基于人群的健康检查研究，共涵盖了8742名居住在郊区的参与者。所有参与者都被筛查血清特异性IgE对α-半乳糖的水平是否达到或高于0.1 kU/L。他们的家庭住址与欧洲环境信息协调中心土地覆盖数据和蜱预测模型相关联。使用多变量逻辑回归评估（1）到森林的距离和（2）蜱的丰度与α-半乳糖致敏之间的关联。
有344例半乳糖-α-1,3-半乳糖特异性IgE水平为0.1 kU/L；我们确定了1个病例的地理聚集区。参与者居住的地方距离森林每近1公里，α-半乳糖致敏的比值比为1.09（95%可信区间=1.05-1.13）。预测的蜱若虫丰度与α-半乳糖致敏之间没有关联。
总体而言，居住在郊区的个体居住得离森林越近，对α-半乳糖致敏的几率就高9%，从而支持接触蜱是α-半乳糖致敏的一个风险因素。
