Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41634767›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2026

Alpha-gal sensitization and allergic blood transfusion reactions: a scoping review.

Maureen J Miller, Roya Zarpak, Patricia Lee, Zachary Osterwind, Mattias Lenz, Mirna Argueta Guevara, Sarah Fowler, Carrie Price, Tracy C Shields, Alicia A Livinski and 4 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Maureen J MillerNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Roya ZarpakNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Patricia LeeNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Zachary OsterwindNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Mattias LenzNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Mirna Argueta GuevaraNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Sarah FowlerNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Carrie PriceNIH Library, Office of Research Services, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Tracy C ShieldsNIH Library, Office of Research Services, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Alicia A LivinskiNIH Library, Office of Research Services, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Kathleen Conry-CantilenaNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
David F StroncekNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Kamille West-MitchellNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Valeria De GiorgiNIH Clinical Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. valeria.degiorgi@nih.gov.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTick bites may expose individuals to a carbohydrate not found in humans, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), including allergy to mammalian red meat or red meat-derived products presenting 2–6 hours after consuming the product plus positive alpha-gal specific IgE testing that may indicate alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). Anaphylaxis in group O recipients of group B blood products in the absence of other risk factors for allergic transfusion reactions could be transfusion-related alpha-gal syndrome (TRAGS); galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (Gal-alpha1-3 Galβ1-(3)4GlcNAc-R) is similar to the B blood group antigen (Gal-alpha1-3(Fuc-alpha-1,2)Gal).

objectivesTo review scientific and grey literature with no date or language limit to: 1) describe characteristics of all known cases of transfusion-related alpha-gal syndrome (TRAGS) and hypersensitivity reactions to infusions of mammalian red meat-derived medical products besides blood components that may resemble TRAGS; 2) identify studies that explore possible relationships between alpha-gal sensitization and blood group that may be relevant to understanding TRAGS; 3) describe which clinical, laboratory, and epidemiologic parameters used to diagnose AGS food allergy are also appropriate to diagnose TRAGS; and 4) identify which diagnostic assays exist for AGS and how they are used for AGS and/or TRAGS.

methodsUsing search strategies peer-reviewed by biomedical librarians we performed a scoping review of literature in five medical databases, charted in Microsoft Excel and Covidence software.

resultsOf 11732 studies imported for screening, 3858 duplicates were removed and 7874 papers were screened. Title and abstract screening excluded 7383 papers. Full-text screening excluded 380 papers. Of the included papers, 20/111 (18%) addressed risk for alpha-gal allergy by blood group and 18/111 diagnostics (16%).

conclusionA comprehensive literature review showed a possible association between alpha-gal allergy and blood group. Further guidance is needed regarding potential clinical implications.

Indexed as

HypersensitivityImmunizationTransfusion ReactionAnimalsFood HypersensitivityHumansalpha-gal sensitizationalpha-gal syndromeblood donor testingtickborne illnessestransfusion-related alpha-gal syndrome (TRAGS)transfusion-transmitted infections

Identifiers

PMID41634767
PMCPMC12964899

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.