The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Original Article

α-Galactose Syndrome Cases within the Prisma Health System, South Carolina

Authors: Hanna Waltz, BS, Lilianne Kaminski, MS, Kyndall Dye-Braumuller, PhD, Matthew Haldeman, MD, Emily Owens Pickle, MPH, Melissa S. Nolan, PhD

Abstract

Objectives: Humans can develop a vector-associated allergy to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) a polysaccharide found in mammalian meats and by-products, resulting in α-gal syndrome (AGS). Amblyomma americanum tick bites have been implicated in AGS development in the United States, but the AGS clinical burden in South Carolina is not well understood. Because A. americanum is the predominant tick species in the state and large AGS cohorts exist in neighboring states, the potential for AGS clinical cases in South Carolina exists. Increased understanding of high-incidence geographical clusters is critical for clinical and public education given the potential for severe anaphylaxis.

Methods: We conducted a 5-year retrospective chart abstraction of AGS patient cases serologically confirmed within the state’s largest healthcare system to characterize this condition in South Carolina’s Upstate and Midlands regions.

Results: From October 2017 to February 2023, 50 patients were serologically diagnosed as having AGS within the Prisma Health system. Cohort demographics were mostly older, White males, and Black patients were significantly underrepresented in the AGS caseload (P = 0.0004). Immunosuppressing comorbidities and cooccurring allergies were common.

Conclusions: This article presents the first clinical AGS case series in South Carolina, warranting further clinical and public education and a need for continued clinical research on this emerging tick-associated condition.
Posted in: Allergy and Immunology10

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