Data-driven discovery of biomarkers pave way for improved diagnosis of contact allergy
With the help of algorithms, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified markers that can differentiate between irritant eczema and contact allergy, two skin reactions that look similar but require different treatment. Their findings, which are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), support the further development of an alternative to today’s diagnostic patch tests.About 20 percent of the population of high-income countries are troubled by contact eczema, a disease often associated with exposure to chemicals in the working