Allergenius, an expert system for the interpretation of allergen microarray results

BACKGROUND: An in vitro procedure based on a microarray containing many different allergen components has recently been introduced for use in allergy diagnosis. Recombinant and highly purified allergens belonging to different allergenic sources (inhalants, food, latex and hymenoptera) are present in the array. These components can either be genuine or cross-reactive, resistant or susceptible to heat and low pH, and innocuous or potentially dangerous. A large number of complex and heterogeneous relationships among these components has emerged, such that sometimes these interactions cannot be effectively managed by the allergist. In the 1960s, specialized languages and environments were developed to support the replacement of human experts with dedicated decision-making information systems. Currently, expert systems (ES) are advanced informatics tools that are widely used in medicine, engineering, finance and trading. METHODS: We developed an ES, named Allergenius ®, to support the interpretation of allergy tests based on microarray technology (ImmunoCAP ISAC ®). The ES was implemented using Flex, a LPA Win-Prolog shell. Rules representing the knowledge base (KB) were derived from the literature and specialized databases. The input data included the patient’s ID and disease(s), the results of either a skin prick test or specific IgE assays and ISAC results. The output was a medical report. RESULTS: The ES was first validated using artificial and real life cases and passed all in silico validations. Then, the opinions of allergists with experience in molecular diagnostics were compared with the ES reports. The Allergenius reports included all of the allergists’ opinions and considerations, as well as any additional information. CONCLUSIONS: Allergenius is a trustable ES dedicated to molecular tests for allergy. In the present version, it provides a powerful method to understand ISAC results and to obtain a comprehensive interpretation of the patient’s IgE profiling

Barriers to Asthma Treatment in the United States: Results From the Global Asthma Physician and Patient Survey

BACKGROUND: The Global Asthma Physician and Patient (GAPP) survey evaluated the perceptions of both physicians and patients on the management of asthma. Here we present the results from the United States (US) subpopulation of the GAPP survey. METHODS: The GAPP Survey was a large, global study (physicians, n = 1733; patients, n = 1726; interviews, n = 3459). In the US, 208 adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with asthma and 224 physicians were recruited. Respondents were questioned using self-administered online interviews with close-ended questionnaires. RESULTS: Physician and patient responses were found to differ in regard to perception of time spent on asthma education, awareness of disease symptoms and their severity, asthma medication side effects, and adherence to treatment and the consequence of nonadherence. Comparison of the US findings with the global GAPP survey results suggest the US physician-patient partnership compared reasonably well with the other countries in the survey. Both patients and physicians cited a need for new asthma medication. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to the global GAPP survey, the US-specific findings indicate that in general there is a lack of asthma control, poor adherence to therapy, and room for improvement in patient-physician communication and partnership in treating asthma

Allergen Immunotherapy: History and Future Developments

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) was introduced in clinical practice more than 100 years ago. The clinical effectiveness in allergic rhinitis (and asthma) and in hymenoptera allergy was apparent early on but it was not until the mid-1900s that randomized placebo-controlled trials proved its efficacy. In the 1980s, sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) was accepted in official guidelines. The availability of safer routes, such as SLIT, prompted increasing investigation of AIT for food allergy. The introduction of molecular-based diagnosis introduced the possibility of better targeted prescription of AIT. Other approaches are being explored, such as immunogenic peptides, recombinant allergens, and adjuvants

Local Nasal Specific Immunotherapy for Allergic Rhinitis

The possibility of producing local hyposensitization by administering allergens via mucosal routes was envisaged at the beginning of 1900, and local nasal immunotherapy has been extensively studied since the 1970s. Presently, there are 21 randomized controlled trials being conducted with the most common allergens, consistently showing the clinical efficacy of local nasal immunotherapy for rhinitis. Other advantages are that it has an optimal safety profile and can be self-administered at home by the patient. Moreover, there are several data from animal models and from humans that confirm the immunomodulatory effect of intranasally administered antigens. On the other hand, local nasal immunotherapy seems to be effective only on rhinitis symptoms and requires a particular technique of administration. For these reasons, its clinical use is progressively declining in favour of the sublingual route although nasal immunotherapy is validated in official documents and remains a viable alternative to injection

Appropriateness in allergic respiratory diseases health care in Italy: definitions and organizational aspects

In a historical period in which sustainability of the National Health Service is mandatory because of the international economical situation, the limited available resources at national level and the tendency of passing from a "population medicine" model towards the concept of "individualized medicine", the debate on appropriateness of medical and surgical procedures is of central importance. The choosing wisely campaign, started in United States in 2012 and then spread all over the world, tries to summarize which are the most inappropriate procedures for each medical and surgical speciality; as far as allergic respiratory diseases, the most relevant Italian societies and the American Academy defined the allergological procedures with the highest probability of inappropriateness. In Italy, a recent decree of the Ministry of Health defined a list of more than 200 procedures that will be considered as inappropriate in certain conditions; many of these procedures concern allergology, including allergic respiratory diseases. In this commentary we discuss the above mentioned decree and the concept of appropriateness in the field of allergic respiratory diseases, trying to figure out some practical considerations based on the current health resources available in the field of allergology in Italy

Allergen-driven HLA-G expression and secretion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from allergic rhinitis patients

It has been reported that soluble HLA-G serum levels are increased in patients with pollen-induced allergic rhinitis and decrease after immunotherapy. However, no functional study has been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate the membrane expression and secretion of HLA-G molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from allergic rhinitis patients after in vitro incubation with the causal allergen

The WEB-based Asthma Control: An intriguing connection or a dangerous hazard?

Globally, an estimated 300 million people have asthma, presenting a considerable and increasing burden of disease for healthcare systems, families, and patients themselves. Despite two decades of guidelines, asthma seems to remain not optimally controlled in a substantial proportion of people. The achievement of asthma control is the result of the interaction among different variables concerning the disease pattern and patients' and physicians' knowledge and behavior. It is well known that adherence to treatment increases in parallel to patient education. There is now a growing interest in the use of digital information technologies to promote asthma control and improve outcomes. Mobile health, or mHealth, refers to mobile devices, medical sensors, and communication technologies that can enhance chronic disease care and monitoring. Aim of this review was to evaluate the web resources nowadays available and to analyze the published studies about the web-based instruments used to improve asthma knowledge, control asthma outcomes. In general, studies revealed that the technology is well accepted. Interactive asthma technology may be, in addition, of help in reaching populations difficult to reach, such as inner city populations. The number of tools and apps available continues to increase, and agencies such as the FDA, become involved in their regulation, thus the mHealth landscape will continue to evolve. Although asthma tools and apps have great potential to improve care for asthma, the proof of data reproducibility, the demonstration of effectiveness, and the privacy issues still represent the major technical problems