Maria Jose Maertinez Martinez

Mrs. Maria Jose Maertinez Martinez

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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18 May 2023 in Journal of Fungi
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EAEva Abel-Fernández
Eva Abel-Fernández
MMMaria Jose Maertinez Martinez
Maria Jose Maertinez Martinez
TGTania Galán
Tania Galán
FLFernando Pineda de la Losa
Fernando Pineda de la Losa
Fungal allergy is the third most frequent cause of respiratory pathologies and the most related to a poor prognosis of asthma. The genera Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most frequently associated with allergic respiratory diseases, with Alternaria being the one with the highest prevalence of sensitization. Alternaria alternata is an outdoor fungus whose spores disseminate in warm and dry air, reaching peak levels in temperate summers. Alternaria can also be found in damp and insufficiently ventilated houses, causing what is known as sick building syndrome. Thus, exposure to fungal allergens can occur outdoors and indoors. However, not only spores but also fungal fragments contain detectable amounts of allergens and may function as aeroallergenic sources. Allergenic extracts of Alternaria hyphae and spores are still in use for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases but are variable and insufficiently standardised, as they are often a random mixture of allergenic ingredients and casual impurities. Thus, diagnosis of fungal allergy has been difficult, and knowledge about new fungal allergens is stuck. The number of allergens described in Fungi remains almost constant while new allergens are being found in the Plantae and Animalia kingdoms. Given Alt a 1 is not the unique Alternaria allergen eliciting allergy symptoms, component-resolved diagnosis strategies should be applied to diagnose fungal allergy. To date, twelve A. alternata allergens are accepted in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee, many of them are enzymes: Alt a 4 (disulfide isomerase), Alt a 6 (enolase), Alt a 8 (mannitol de-hydrogenase), Alt a 10 (aldehyde dehydrogenase), Alt a 13 (glutathione-S-transferase) and Alt a MnSOD (Mn superoxide dismutase), and others have structural and regulatory functions such as Alt a 5 and Alt a 12, Alt a 3, Alt a 7. The function of Alt a 1 and Alt a 9 remains unknown. Other four allergens are included in other medical databases (e.g., Allergome): Alt a NTF2, Alt a TCTP, and Alt a 70 kDa. Despite Alt a 1 being the A. alternata major allergen, other allergens, such as enolase, Alt a 6 or MnSOD, Alt a 14 have been suggested to be included in the diagnosis panel of fungal allergy.

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Ruperto González-PérezRuperto González-Pérez
Ruperto González-Pérez
PPPaloma Poza-Guedes
Paloma Poza-Guedes
FLFernando Pineda de la Losa
Fernando Pineda de la Losa
TGTania Galán
Tania Galán
EMElena Mederos-Luis
Elena Mederos-Luis
ISInmaculada Sánchez-Machín
Inmaculada Sánchez-Machín
Climate change and exposure to environmental pollutants play a key role in the onset and aggravation of allergic diseases. As different climate-dependent patterns of molecular immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity have been regionally described, we sought to investigate the evolving allergen exposome in distinctive allergic phenotypes and subtropical weather conditions through a Precision Allergy Molecular Diagnosis (PAMD@) model. Concurrent sensitization to several house dust mites (HDM) and storage mite molecules were broadly dominant in the investigated cohort, followed by the major cat allergen Fel d 1, and regardless of the basal allergic disease. Although a complex repertoire of allergens was recognized, a steadily increasing number of IgE binding molecules was associated with the complexity of the underlying atopic disease. Besides the highly prevalent IgE responses to major HDM allergens, Der p 21, Der p 5, and Der p 7 also showed up as serodominant molecules, especially in subjects bothered by asthma and atopic dermatitis. The accurate characterization of the external exposome at the molecular level and their putative role as clinically relevant allergens is essential to elucidate the phenotypic diversity of atopic disease in terms of personalized diagnosis and therapy.

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AMAna Martínez-Cañavate
Ana Martínez-Cañavate
MCMaria Mesa del Castillo
Maria Mesa del Castillo
FGFrancisco Javier Carballada Gonzalez
Francisco Javier Carballada Gonzalez
CRCristina Rivas-Juesas
Cristina Rivas-Juesas
JPJosé Ángel Porto
José Ángel Porto
MTMiguel Tortajada-Girbés
Miguel Tortajada-Girbés
Spain exhibits significant climatic variability across its regions, ranging from the humid oceanic climate in the north to the Mediterranean and stepped climates in the southern and central areas. These climatic differences influence environmental allergen exposure, which may, in turn, affect allergic sensitization patterns in the pediatric population. Variations in temperature, humidity, and airborne allergen distribution, such as pollen, dust mites, animal epithelia, and mold, contribute to regional disparities in allergic responses among children. Understanding how climatic conditions shape allergen recognition patterns across different geographical areas is essential for improving allergy prevention and management strategies. This study aims to shed light on this issue by identifying sensitization patterns in a pediatric population of 236 patients (with 2 age groups analyzed: 6–10 and 11–15 years old) from different climatic regions of Spain. Skin tests with standard aeroallergens were performed, and specific IgE (sIgE) analysis by Allergy Explorer of Macroarray Diagnostic test (ALEX2) and Western blot. The results revealed different sensitization trends across patients from the eight cities analyzed (Barcelona, Granada, Lugo, Sagunto, Santiago de Compostela, Valencia, and Zaragoza).

2 May 2023 in Preprints.org
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Ruperto González-PérezRuperto González-Pérez
Ruperto González-Pérez
PPPaloma Poza-Guedes
Paloma Poza-Guedes
FLFernando Pineda de la Losa
Fernando Pineda de la Losa
TGTania Galán
Tania Galán
EMElena Mederos-Luis
Elena Mederos-Luis
ISInmaculada Sánchez-Machín
Inmaculada Sánchez-Machín
Climate change and exposure to environmental pollutants play a key role in the onset and aggravation of allergic diseases. As different climate-dependent patterns of molecular immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity have been regionally described, we sought to investigate the evolving allergen exposome in distinctive allergic phenotypes, and subtropical weather conditions through a Precision Allergy Molecular Diagnosis (PAMD@) model. Concurrent sensitization to several house dust mites (HDM) and storage mite molecules were broadly dominant in the investigated cohort, followed by the major cat allergen Fel d 1, and regardless of the basal allergic disease. Although a complex repertoire of allergens was recognized, a steadily increasing number of IgE binding molecules was associated with the complexity of the underlying atopic disease. Besides the highly prevalent IgE responses to HMD major allergens, Der p 21, Der p 5, and Der p 7 also showed as serodominant molecules, especially in those subjects bothered with asthma and atopic dermatitis. The accurate characterization of the external exposome at the molecular level and their putative role as clinically relevant allergens is essential to elucidate the phenotypic diversity of atopic disease in terms of personalized diagnosis and therapy.

3 July 2025 in Allergies
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OCOscar Calderon
Oscar Calderon
CGCesar Alberto Galvan
Cesar Alberto Galvan
MMMaria Jose Maertinez Martinez
Maria Jose Maertinez Martinez
Ruperto González-PérezRuperto González-Pérez
Ruperto González-Pérez
EAEva Abel-Fernández
Eva Abel-Fernández
FLFernando Pineda de la Losa
Fernando Pineda de la Losa
Allergic diseases, particularly respiratory allergies like asthma and allergic rhinitis, are a growing public health concern influenced by environmental factors such as climate change and air pollution. The exposome framework enables a comprehensive assessment of how lifelong environmental exposures shape immune responses and allergic sensitization. Peru’s diverse ecosystems and climates provide a unique setting to investigate regional variations in allergic sensitization. This study characterized these patterns in five Peruvian regions with distinct climatic, urbanization, and socioeconomic characteristics. A total of 268 individuals from Lima, Piura, Tarapoto, Arequipa, and Tacna were analysed for allergen-specific IgE responses using a multiplex IgE detection system. The results revealed significant geographical differences in sensitization frequencies and serodominance profiles, based on descriptive statistics and supported by Chi-square comparative analysis. House dust mites were predominant in humid regions, while Arequipa exhibited higher sensitization to cat allergens. In Tacna, olive pollen showed notable prevalence alongside house dust mites. Tarapoto’s high humidity correlated with increased fungal and cockroach allergen sensitization. Notably, some allergens traditionally considered minor, such as Der p 5 and Der p 21, reached sensitization prevalences close to or exceeding 50% in certain regions. These findings provide the most detailed molecular characterization of allergic sensitization in Peru to date, highlighting the importance of region-specific allergy management strategies. Understanding environmental influences on allergic diseases can support more effective diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive approaches tailored to diverse geographical contexts.

10 January 2025 in Allergies
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Journal Article
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EMElena Mederos-Luis
Elena Mederos-Luis
TGTania Galán
Tania Galán
MMMaria Jose Maertinez Martinez
Maria Jose Maertinez Martinez
Ruperto González-PérezRuperto González-Pérez
Ruperto González-Pérez
ISInmaculada Sánchez-Machín
Inmaculada Sánchez-Machín
PPPaloma Poza-Guedes
Paloma Poza-Guedes
Seafood is a crucial source of nutrients, with global consumption steadily increasing. Among seafood-related allergies, shellfish are a significant cause of food allergy and anaphylaxis worldwide, affecting approximately 0.5–2.5% of the general population. While the majority of existing research has focused on crustaceans, allergic reactions to mollusks, including their clinical characteristics, remain poorly understood. In the Canary Islands, limpets (a type of marine gastropod) are widely consumed as part of the traditional cuisine. Despite isolated reports of limpet allergy, no large-scale studies or comprehensive clinical analyses have been published on this topic. A cohort of patients sensitized to limpets was analyzed: 66 patients were monosensitized to limpets (Group A), while 64 patients demonstrated additional sensitization to other shellfish (Group B). Limpet ingestion was associated with delayed and severe symptoms, including anaphylaxis and severe asthma. Notably, only 11.5% of patients in Group A tested positive for shellfish allergens using ALEX testing compared to 67.9% in Group B. The identification of protein bands in the 25–40 and 50–200 kDa molecular weight ranges in monosensitized patients provides a novel finding that differentiates this study from prior research. Our study represents the largest reported series of patients with documented limpet allergy to date.