Asia Pac Allergy.  2013 Oct;3(4):209-214. 10.5415/apallergy.2013.3.4.209.

What Taiwan contributes to the world of allergy and clinical immunology?

• Wang JY

• KMID: 2397297
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5415/apallergy.2013.3.4.209

Abstract

In commemorate the 9th Asia Pacific Congress of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology (APCAACI) in Taipei, Taiwan in November this year, some of the seminar works and contributions by the researchers from Taiwan to the advance in the field of allergy and clinical immunology, such as DNA vaccine, traditional Chinese medicine, anti-IgE antibody, and personalized medicine for severe drug allergic reaction, are summarized in this special review.

Keyword

Allergy; Taiwan; Anti-IgE antibody; Severe drug reaction

MeSH Terms

Allergy and Immunology*
Asia
Asthma
DNA
Hypersensitivity*
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
Precision Medicine
Taiwan*
DNA

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Growth of Taiwan allergy Science Citation Index papers. These data were obtained from a PubMed search-(allergy or asthma or hypersensitivity) and affiliation [Taiwan].

• 

  Fig. 2 A microfluidic-based, advanced screening technology for protein microarray analysis in diagnostic applications is shown. Utilizing microfluidic pumps and valves in a disposable cartridge, automated immunoassays can be carried out with equipment smaller than a personal computer and require only minimal user intervention (A). Low sample and reagent volumes reduce costs and allow multiplexed screening using serum obtained from capillary blood draws. In most cases, assays are completed within 30 minutes due to increased surface to volume ratios coupled with high sensitivity chemi-luminescence detection (B).

Reference

1. Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology Societies (APAAACI). About APAAACI [Internet]. Sydney: APAAACI;2011. cited 2013 Oct 11. Available from: http://www.apaaaci.org/about.php.

2. Hsieh KH, Shen JJ. Prevalence of childhood asthma in Taipei, Taiwan, and other Asian Pacific countries. J Asthma. 1988; 25:73–82.

3. Worldwide variations in the prevalence of asthma symptoms: the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Eur Respir J. 1998; 12:315–335.

4. Asher MI, Montefort S, Björkstén B, Lai CK, Strachan DP, Weiland SK, Williams H. ISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Worldwide time trends in the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in childhood: ISAAC Phases One and Three repeat multicountry cross-sectional surveys. Lancet. 2006; 368:733–743.

5. Yan DC, Ou LS, Tsai TL, Wu WF, Huang JL. Prevalence and severity of symptoms of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in 13- to 14-year-old children in Taipei, Taiwan. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005; 95:579–585.

6. Wu WF, Wan KS, Wang SJ, Yang W, Liu WL. Prevalence, severity, and time trends of allergic conditions in 6-to-7-year-old schoolchildren in Taipei. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2011; 21:556–562.

7. Sun HL, Kao YH, Lu TH, Chou MC, Lue KH. Health-care utilization and costs in Taiwanese pediatric patients with asthma. Pediatr Int. 2007; 49:48–52.

8. Sun HL, Lue KH. Health care utilization and costs of adult asthma in Taiwan. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2008; 29:177–181.

9. Sun HL, Kao YH, Chou MC, Lu TH, Lue KH. Differences in the prescription patterns of anti-asthmatic medications for children by pediatricians, family physicians and physicians of other specialties. J Formos Med Assoc. 2006; 105:277–283.

10. Wang JY, Liu LF, Chen CY, Huang YW, Hsiung CA, Tsai HJ. Acetaminophen and/or antibiotic use in early life and the development of childhood allergic diseases. Int J Epidemiol. 2013; 42:1087–1099.

11. Wang JY, Liu LF. Health care utilization and medical costs for childhood asthma in Taiwan: using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Asia Pac Allergy. 2012; 2:167–171.

12. Weng HC. Impacts of a government-sponsored outpatient-based disease management program for patients with asthma: a preliminary analysis of national data from Taiwan. Dis Manag. 2005; 8:48–58.

13. Weng HC, Yuan BC, Su YT, Perng DS, Chen WH, Lin LJ, Chi SC, Chou CH. Effectiveness of a nurse-led management programme for paediatric asthma in Taiwan. J Paediatr Child Health. 2007; 43:134–138.

14. Klaewsongkram J, Reantragoon R. Asthma research performance in Asia-Pacific: a bibliometric analysis by searching PubMed database. J Asthma. 2009; 46:1013–1020.

15. Hsieh KH. Changes of lymphoproliferative responses of T cell subsets to allergen and mitogen after hyposensitization in asthmatic children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1984; 74:34–40.

16. Hsu CH, Chua KY, Tao MH, Lai YL, Wu HD, Huang SK, Hsieh KH. Immunoprophylaxis of allergen-induced immunoglobulin E synthesis and airway hyperresponsiveness in vivo by genetic immunization. Nat Med. 1996; 2:540–544.

17. Hsieh KH. Evaluation of efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines in the treatment of childhood bronchial asthma: clinical trial, immunological tests and animal study. Taiwan Asthma Study Group. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1996; 7:130–140.

18. Kao ST, Wang SD, Wang JY, Yu CK, Lei HY. The effect of Chinese herbal medicine, xiao-qing-long tang (XQLT), on allergen-induced bronchial inflammation in mite-sensitized mice. Allergy. 2000; 55:1127–1133.

19. Schulman ES. Development of a monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody (omalizumab) for the treatment of allergic respiratory disorders. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001; 164(8 Pt 2):S6–S11.

20. Chang TW, Wu PC, Hsu CL, Hung AF. Anti-IgE antibodies for the treatment of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Adv Immunol. 2007; 93:63–119.

21. Corne J, Djukanovic R, Thomas L, Warner J, Botta L, Grandordy B, Gygax D, Heusser C, Patalano F, Richardson W, Kilchherr E, Staehelin T, Davis F, Gordon W, Sun L, Liou R, Wang G, Chang TW, Holgate S. The effect of intravenous administration of a chimeric anti-IgE antibody on serum IgE levels in atopic subjects: efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics. J Clin Invest. 1997; 99:879–887.

22. Chang TW. The pharmacological basis of anti-IgE therapy. Nat Biotechnol. 2000; 18:157–162.

23. Chung WH, Hung SI, Hong HS, Hsih MS, Yang LC, Ho HC, Wu JY, Chen YT. Medical genetics: a marker for Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Nature. 2004; 428:486.

24. Hung SI, Chung WH, Liou LB, Chu CC, Lin M, Huang HP, Lin YL, Lan JL, Yang LC, Hong HS, Chen MJ, Lai PC, Wu MS, Chu CY, Wang KH, Chen CH, Fann CS, Wu JY, Chen YT. HLA-B^*5801 allele as a genetic marker for severe cutaneous adverse reactions caused by allopurinol. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005; 102:4134–4139.

25. Chung WH, Hung SI, Yang JY, Su SC, Huang SP, Wei CY, Chin SW, Chiou CC, Chu SC, Ho HC, Yang CH, Lu CF, Wu JY, Liao YD, Chen YT. Granulysin is a key mediator for disseminated keratinocyte death in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Nat Med. 2008; 14:1343–1350.

26. Chen P, Lin JJ, Lu CS, Ong CT, Hsieh PF, Yang CC, Tai CT, Wu SL, Lu CH, Hsu YC, Yu HY, Ro LS, Lu CT, Chu CC, Tsai JJ, Su YH, Lan SH, Sung SF, Lin SY, Chuang HP, Huang LC, Chen YJ, Tsai PJ, Liao HT, Lin YH, Chen CH, Chung WH, Hung SI, Wu JY, Chang CF, Chen L, Chen YT, Shen CY. Taiwan SJS Consortium. Carbamazepine-induced toxic effects and HLA-B^*1502 screening in Taiwan. N Engl J Med. 2011; 364:1126–1133.

27. Lee YC, Kuo HC, Chang JS, Chang LY, Huang LM, Chen MR, Liang CD, Chi H, Huang FY, Lee ML, Huang YC, Hwang B, Chiu NC, Hwang KP, Lee PC, Chang LC, Liu YM, Chen YJ, Chen CH, Chen YT, Tsai FJ, Wu JY. Taiwan Pediatric ID Alliance. Two new susceptibility loci for Kawasaki disease identified through genome-wide association analysis. Nat Genet. 2012; 44:522–525.

28. Tai LW, Tseng KY, Wang ST, Chiu CC, Kow CH, Chang P, Chen C, Wang JY, Webster JR. An automated microfluidic-based immunoassay cartridge for allergen screening and other multiplexed assays. Anal Biochem. 2009; 391:98–105.

29. Shyur SD, Jan RL, Webster JR, Chang P, Lu YJ, Wang JY. Determination of multiple allergen-pecific IgE by microfluidic immunoassay cartridge in clinical settings. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2010; 21:623–633.

30. Swinbanks D, Cyranoski D. Taiwan backs experience in quest for biotech success. Nature. 2000; 407:417–426.