Editor: Akhmetova Aigerim
Translator: Bolysbek Dana
Author: Aldiyarbek Nurlan
There are two types of contact eczema, each with a different cause: allergic contact eczema caused by an allergic reaction; and non-allergic irritant eczema caused by chemicals or physical factors.
Since the two types require different treatments, it is important that the correct diagnosis is made. This can prove difficult for dermatologists, as the diseases present similar clinical symptoms. Diagnoses are normally based on the results of a patch test, which are often difficult to interpret and can sometimes give false positive or false negative outcomes.
In this present study, researchers at Karolinska Institute and their colleagues from universities in Finland and Austria compared patch tests from 85 patients with contact eczema and healthy skin samples to examine the gene expression in the skin resulting from exposure to different allergens and irritants.
Using a machine-learning technique linked to a tailored genetic algorithm, the researchers identified sets of two or three genes that together could distinguish irritant from allergic skin reactions. The results were replicable in an independent group of patients, and in external datasets. The external datasets included patients who were exposed to different substances than those of the first group, which laid the foundation for the new biomarkers.
"Our results show that there is considerable potential for the development of a new diagnostic method based on these biomarkers," says corresponding author Nanna Fyhrquist, researcher and group leader at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute. "The next step in the project entails a more extensive clinical validation of the markers and technical optimisation of the method in order to attain sufficient cost-effectiveness and speed to clinical purposes."
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201214150355.htm
