Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41736109›Full record

ArticleSystematic reviews2026

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

Maureen J Miller, Carrie Price, Tracy C Shields, Roya Zarpak, Patricia Lee, Zachary Osterwind, Mattias Lenz, Mirna Argueta Guevara, Sarah Fowler, Alicia A Livinski and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Systematic reviews, 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

11 authors.

Maureen J MillerDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA. maureen.miller@nih.gov.ORCID 0000-0002-5284-9052
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.
Roya ZarpakDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Patricia LeeDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Zachary OsterwindDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Mattias LenzDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Mirna Argueta GuevaraDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Sarah FowlerDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Alicia A LivinskiNIH Library, Office of Research Services, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7201-3500
Valeria De GiorgiDepartment of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0369-1700

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). A spectrum of disorders may result from IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to alpha-gal, including alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), an allergy to meat or meat-derived products usually presenting 2-6 h after consuming the product plus positive alpha-gal specific IgE testing for the oligosaccharide. Reports of anaphylaxis in group O recipients of group B plasma in the absence of other risk factors for severe allergic reactions to blood transfusion could be alpha-gal sensitization; the allergen galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (Gal-alpha-1-3Galβ1-(3)4GlcNAc-R) is antigenically similar to the B blood group antigen (Gal-alpha-1-3(Fuc-alpha-1,2)Gal). The potential cross-reactivity of alpha-gal specific IgE to B type red blood cells may pose a safety consideration for blood donation and transfusion. This scoping review protocol will be used to research all publications on alpha-gal sensitization 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 peer-reviewed search strategies, our study team will perform a scoping review with no date or language limit of all literature relevant to the research objectives in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, including title, abstract, full-text screening, and data collection using Covidence. DISCUSSION: This study involves published data predominantly from humans (and, rarely, animal) studies of diagnostic assays in development for use in humans. It does not require institutional review board or ethics approval. We intend to disseminate our findings to specialists in allergy, immunology, hematology, and blood banking and to patients or blood donors experiencing symptoms of alpha-gal sensitization. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (osf.io) (DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WDZT6 ).

Indexed as

DisaccharidesFood HypersensitivityTransfusion ReactionABO Blood-Group SystemHumansImmunoglobulin EScoping Reviews as TopicTrisaccharidesABO Blood-Group SystemDisaccharidesImmunoglobulin ETrisaccharidesAlpha-gal (α-Gal) sensitizationAlpha-gal (α-Gal) syndromeBlood donor testingScoping reviewTickborne illnessesTransfusion-transmitted infections

Identifiers

PMID41736109
PMCPMC13041260

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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.