Allergy Diagnosis via Leukocyte Migration Kinetics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing drug allergies are inefficient, inaccurate, and often require large blood samples, with existing tests like DLST and LMT taking a week to produce results and having high false positive rates, failing to distinguish between allergic and non-allergic reactions, and not being universally applicable for all types of allergies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of serum from a subject with allergy-like symptoms and healthy volunteer leukocytes to measure cell kinetics, such as migration distance and velocity, to determine if an allergenic agent causes an allergic response, allowing for rapid and sensitive detection of allergens or allergy inhibitors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DLST or LMT is used to detect drug allergy, then safety is improved because blood is tested without involving the patient, but the testing time increases to about one week and false positive reactions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses HLA genotype testing as a preliminary action before drug administration to predict allergy risk. By determining the patient's HLA genotype in advance, the system identifies patients at high risk for specific drug allergies before they receive the medication, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-administration tests like DLST or LMT while maintaining safety through accurate prediction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the allergy detection process into two distinct approaches: (1) HLA genotype-based prediction for high-risk patients before drug administration, and (2) conventional in vitro tests for other cases. This segmentation allows the system to apply the most appropriate method for each situation, reducing overall testing time while maintaining safety
2Measurement precision
If conventional allergy tests are performed to accurately predict drug allergy, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the patient burden increases and risk of shock is elevated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs HLA genotype testing as a preliminary action before drug administration to identify patients at high risk for specific drug allergies. This preliminary genetic screening provides accurate diagnostic information without exposing patients to the risks of drug challenge tests, as the prediction is made based on genetic markers rather than actual drug exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses HLA genotype as an intermediary marker to predict drug allergy risk. Instead of directly testing patient response to the actual drug (which carries shock risk), the system uses the HLA genotype as an intermediate indicator that correlates with allergy susceptibility, thereby maintaining diagnostic accuracy while eliminating patient risk
3Reliability
If drug elimination method is used to determine causative agent, then safety is improved by withdrawing suspected drug, but the time required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs HLA genotype testing as a preliminary action to identify the causative agent before drug elimination is needed. By matching the patient's HLA genotype with known associations for specific drug allergies, the system can identify the causative drug through prediction rather than through time-consuming drug withdrawal and observation periods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from HLA genotype data to rapidly identify the causative agent. The system compares the patient's genetic profile against databases of known HLA-drug allergy associations, providing immediate feedback about which drugs are likely causative, thereby eliminating the need for prolonged drug elimination trials
4Measurement precision
If indicators such as eosinophils and IgEs are measured in blood test, then type I allergy diagnosis is improved, but universal applicability deteriorates for all types of allergies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies HLA genotype testing as a universal method that can predict risk for multiple types of drug allergies across different allergy mechanisms. Since HLA molecules are involved in presenting antigens to T cells in various types of hypersensitivity reactions, this single genetic marker provides multi-functional predictive capability for不同类型 of drug allergies, unlike type-specific indicators such as eosinophils or IgE
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables rapid, accurate, and efficient diagnosis of allergic diseases, requiring minimal blood samples, differentiating between allergic and non-allergic reactions, and providing results within hours, thus aiding in selecting alternative drugs for treatment.
Implementation Method 1
causing migration of chemotactic cells with a sample derived from the subject; and measuring the cell kinetics (for example, the migration distance and/or migration velocity) of the migrating cells
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method for testing an allergy capable of rapidly and highly accurately testing an allergic reaction. The method can determine whether or not a patient has an allergy or whether or not an agent that may be allergenic to a patient has an allergenicity (an allergic reactivity) in the patient. The method may comprise the steps of causing migration of leukocytes separated from a healthy human or cells of an established cell line with a chemotactic factor contained in a sample such as body fluid or blood of the patient to be tested or a sample stimulated with the agent that may be allergenic to the patient and analyzing the cell kinetics such as migration velocity, migration distance, and migration direction.