Tick-borne infectious diseases and allergies are a growing problem worldwide. Tick bite allergy has been associated with the direct effect of immunoglobulin E (IgE) response to tick salivary antigens, or secondary to the induction of allergy to red meat consumption through IgE antibodies against the carbohydrate α-Gal (Gal α 1-3Gal β 1-(3)4GlcNAc-R). However, despite the growing burden of this pathology, the proteins associated with anaphylaxis to tick bite have not been characterized. To address this question, a comparative proteomics approach was used to characterize tick proteins producing an IgE antibody response in a healthy individual with record of tick bites, which had not resulted in any allergic reactions, and two patients with anaphylactic reactions to Rhipicephalus bursa or Hyalomma marginatum tick bites. Both patients and the healthy individual were red meat tolerant. The results supported a patient-specific IgE antibody response to tick species responsible for the anaphylaxis to tick bite. Both patients and the healthy individual serologically recognized tick proteins with and without α-Gal modifications, with proteins differentially recognized by patients but not control sera. These proteins could be used as potential antigens for diagnostics, treatment and prevention of tick bite-induced allergies.

Allergy Section General University Hospital of Ciudad Real Ciudad Real Spain

Department of Allergy Hospital Virgen del Valle Toledo Spain

Department of Animal Pathology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zaragoza Miguel Servet Zaragoza Spain

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology Center for Veterinary Health Sciences Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic

Institute of Parasitology Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of The Czech Republic České Budějovice Czech Republic

SaBio Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Cinegéticos IREC CSIC UCLM JCCM Ciudad Real Spain

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