Thermographic measurements of allergen-induced skin reactions

摘要

The studies were performed to validate a thermographic (TH) technique for the evaluation of skin prick test results. The TH measurements of the skin allergic reactions are supplemented by a simple mathematical model based on the pathophysiology of heat generation. A set of new parameters are proposed to quantify intensity and kinetics of the skin reactions. There are possibilities to distinguish different susceptibility to histamine as well as to measure the intensity of the allergic response. The maximum radius of the heated region was applied to quantify different response to histamine. Three groups of patients were distinguished. The allergen-induced response was characterized by one parameter which is related to the heat generation rate. In agreement with clinical data, it was confirmed that the intensity of the allergic reaction does not correlate with the susceptibility to histamine. The values of the model parameters do not correlate well with the routine assessment based on wheal and erythema areas. The final verification of the proposed method needs to be addressed in future studies of the IgE antibody serum level.