[STATE-OF-THE-ART OF GLOBAL START-UP INVESTMENT FOR ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 2022].

BACKGROUND: In 2022, the "New Capitalism Grand Design and Implementation Plan" was adopted in Japan, emphasizing the promotion and environmental development of startups. Given this context, an investigation into the startup and investment landscape in the allergy sector, both domestically and internationally, becomes imperative. METHODS: We analyzed 156 allergy-related startups from Japan, the US, and Europe from 2010 to 2021. Data on corporate information and investment trends were extracted from databases and VC websites. RESULTS: The total investment reached approximately 7.2 billion USD, with a ratio of 20:6:1 for the US, Europe, and Japan, respectively. The US showed a decline post its peak from 2016-2018, while Europe and Japan experienced growth. Notably, the US primarily invested in biopharmaceuticals for atopic dermatitis and food allergies, Europe in asthma-related apps, and Japan in healthcare apps and cross-border startups. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: While Japan's investment environment in the allergy sector remains in its nascent stages and has room for development, the US and Europe are evidently ahead. Considering the rise of startups and funding limitations in Japan, external funding from regions like the US becomes a potential avenue. These findings are anticipated to contribute to the strategic activation of startups in allergy research and development.

Manejo clínico y diagnóstico para pacientes con enfermedades de inmunodeficiencia primaria por déficit de producción de anticuerpos / Clinical management and diagnosis for patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases due to deficiency of antibody production

1. INTRODUCCIÓNLas inmunodeficiencias primarias son un grupo de más de 400 enfermedades, en las cuales el sistema inmune pierde sus funciones de reconocimiento de patógenos o funciona de forma inapropiada. Algunas de ellas son relativamente comunes; mientras otras son raras. Estas enfermedades son en ocasiones de por vida, debilitantes y costosas1,2.Sin embargo, muchos progresos se han hecho desde su des-cripción original en el año de 1952. Se han dado grandes pasos en cuanto a su entendimiento de las Inmunodeficiencias Pri-marias a nivel genético, de sus características, y tratamiento. Algunos tipos afectan un único tipo de célula; otros afectan más de un componente del sistema inmune2,3.Tomando en cuenta que la aproximación es entre 1-2% de la población, a nivel país se puede decir que un aproximado entre 170 000 a 340 000 pacientes en el país no cuentan con un diagnóstico y muchos mueren por falta de este. El número de afiliados al Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social hasta julio de 2021 es de 3 672,611 por lo que se considera que un estimado de 36 726 a 73 452 pacientes podrían presentar este tipo de enfermedades y requerir de atención por infecciones a repetición, enfermedad autoinmune y enfermedades linfopro-liferativas, además de que sin un tratamiento específico po-drían fallecer debido a infecciones graves o tener discapacidad permanente, lo que implica mayor carga para el sistema de Seguridad Social en subsidios y menores ingresos. Ecuador, cuenta con 86 pacientes diagnosticados, según la base de datos de la Sociedad Latino-Americana de Inmunodeficiencias4.Algunas terapias, como la de reemplazo para inmunoglobu-linas, a la que es tributaria más del 60% de estas patologías permite que la esperanza de vida y la morbilidad casi alcancen a aquellos que no presentan la enfermedad5­7.

1. INTRODUCTIONPrimary immunodeficiencies are a group of more than 400 diseases, in which the immune system loses its pathogen recog-nition functions or functions inappropriately. Some of them are relatively common, while others are rare. These diseases are sometimes lifelong, debilitating, and costly1,2. However, much progress has been made since its original description in 1952. Great strides have been made in understanding Primary Immunodeficiencies at the genetic level, their characteristics, and treatment. Some types affect only one type of cell; others affect more than one component of the immune system2,3. Considering that the approximation is between 1 to 2% of the population, at the country level we could say that approximately between 170 000 to 340 000 patients in the country do not have a diagnosis and many die due to lack of it. The number of social security affiliates until July 2021 is 3 672,611, so we could consider that approximately 36 726 to 73 452 patients could present this type of disease and require care for recurrent infections, autoimmune disease and lymphoproliferative diseases, in addition to the fact that without specific treatment they could die due to serious infections or have permanent disability, which implies a greater burden for the social security system in subsidies and lower income. Currently the country has 86 diagnosed patients, according to the database of the Latin American Society of Immunodeficiencies4. Many of the therapies, such as immunoglobulin replacement therapy, to which more than 60% of these pathologies are de-pendent, allow life expectancy and morbidity to almost reach those who do not have the disease 5­7.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion in academia: lessons from the Canadian Society of Immunology.

Recently, the Canadian Society of Immunology opened its 2021 scientific conference with equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) workshops, before any other sessions, highlighting the significance of this topic and aiming to seed concepts/behaviors in the minds of the community. In this article, we urge research communities to adopt this type of approach for navigating difficult conversations and setting a balanced tone in scientific gatherings worldwide.

A especialidade de Alergia e Imunologia Clínica no Brasil: como começamos a segunda década do século XXI? / The specialty of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Brazil: how do we start the second decade of the 21st century?

Introdução: É necessário conhecer a situação de alergistas/ imunologistas nos diferentes cenários de atuação, identificando perfis e eventuais dificuldades. O conhecimento destes dados poderá servir de subsídio para fomentar a implementação de políticas que garantam a integralidade na atenção à saúde do paciente com doenças alérgicas e erros inatos da imunidade (EII). Objetivo: Verificar o perfil dos especialistas em Alergia e Imunologia no Brasil, em relação ao local de atuação, acesso a exames, terapias e o impacto da pandemia COVID-19 sobre o seu exercício profissional. Métodos: Estudo descritivo-exploratório, com dados coletados por inquérito on-line, utilizando-se a ferramenta Google Forms. Todos os associados adimplentes da ASBAI foram convidados a participar. O questionário abordou aspectos sociodemográficos e profissionais. As informações foram analisadas no programa SPSS versão 20.0. Resultados: Quatrocentos e sessenta associados responderam ao questionário. Observou-se predomínio de mulheres (73%), com mediana de idade de 47 anos. A maioria dos participantes atua no setor privado (95%), e 47% no setor público. Aproximadamente 80% dos que atendem no setor público referiram ter acesso a algum exame diagnóstico para doenças alérgicas e EII. Apenas 35% dos especialistas do sistema público têm acesso a imunoterapia alérgeno específica, contra 96% dos que atuam no setor privado. Já aos medicamentos imunobiológicos, 53% e 72% dos especialistas que atuam no serviço público e privado, respectivamente, referiram acesso. Mais de 60% dos associados participantes da pesquisa tiveram redução no número de consultas em pelo menos 50%, e 56% tem realizado atendimento por teleconsulta durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Conclusão: Os associados da ASBAI têm incorporado na sua prática clínica os avanços na terapia das doenças imunoalérgicas, mas vários métodos diagnósticos ainda são pouco acessíveis. A presença do especialista em Alergia e Imunologia no SUS, também precisa ser ampliada. A pandemia do coronavírus trouxe a discussão da telemedicina como um método de atendimento clínico em nossa especialidade.

Introduction: It is necessary to know the situation of allergists/ immunologists in different scenarios of action, identifying profiles and possible difficulties. The knowledge of these data can serve as a subsidy to promote the implementation of policies that ensure comprehensive health care for patients with allergic diseases and inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Objective: To verify the profile of specialists in Allergy and Immunology in Brazil, concerning the place of work, access to tests, therapies, and the impact of the pandemic on their professional practice. Methods: Descriptive-exploratory study, with data collected through an online survey, using the Google Forms tool. All compliant ASBAI members were invited to participate. The questionnaire addressed sociodemographic and professional aspects. The information was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: Four hundred and sixty associates answered the questionnaire. Women were predominant (73%), and the median age was 47 years. Most participants work in the private sector (95%) and 47% in the public sector. Approximately 80% of those who work in the public sector reported having access to some diagnostic tests for allergic diseases and IEI. Only 35% of specialists in the public system have access to specific allergen immunotherapy, against 96% of those working in the private sector. As for immunobiological drugs, 53% and 72% of specialists working in the public and private service, respectively, reported access. More than 60% of the members participating in the survey had a reduction in the number of consultations by at least 50% and 56% have been assisted by teleconsultation during the Covid19 pandemic. Conclusion: ASBAI associates have incorporated advances in the therapy of immune allergic diseases into their clinical practice, but several diagnostic methods are still inaccessible. The presence of specialists in Allergy and Immunology in the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) also needs to be expanded. The coronavirus pandemic brought the discussion of telemedicine as a method of clinical care practice in our specialty.

Does Reproducibility Drive Clinical Accuracy?

OBJECTIVES: To develop a stochastic model relating measurement uncertainty, including reproducibility, to clinical accuracy, as demonstrated by the receiver operating characteristic curve. METHODS: A model is developed based on the symmetric case of the well-known binormal distribution. The overall distribution is partitioned further into analytical and biological components based on assumptions derived from the Cotlove criterion. Explicit mathematical solutions are derived and further verified by Monte Carlo analyses. RESULTS: The model demonstrates that tests with analytical error that conforms to the classic Cotlove criterion can achieve receiver operating characteristic curves with areas under the curve of 0.68 to 0.76 and Youden indices of 0.26 to 0.38 but have overall agreement for duplicate measurements of only 80% to 82%. Furthermore, the analytically accurate agreement is only 75% to 78%, and the clinically accurate agreement is only 50% to 60%. CONCLUSIONS: The model suggests that assays may have reasonable clinical accuracy despite having reproducibility of less than 85%. Imperfect assays can substantially improve medical decision-making. The findings must be interpreted with caution given the binormal assumptions, but such assumptions are often useful as a first approximation. Practicing pathologists should feel comfortable performing semiquantitative assays shown to have a strong biological association with clinical outcome.

Allergy/Immunology Trainee Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: AAAAI Work Group Report of the Fellows-in-Training Committee.

As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, medical trainees have faced unique challenges and uncertainties. To capture the experiences of allergy and immunology fellows throughout the United States and Canada during this time, a 17-item electronic questionnaire was distributed to 380 fellow-in-training (FIT) members of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology enrolled in US and Canadian allergy/immunology fellowship programs. Voluntary and anonymous responses were collected from April 15 to May 15, 2020. In addition to summary statistics, categorical data were compared using χ2 tests (Fisher's exact). Responses were obtained from FITs across all years of training and primary specialties (Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Medicine-Pediatrics) with a response rate of 32.6% (124 of 380). Reassignment to COVID-19 clinical responsibilities was reported by 12% (15 of 124) of FITs, with the largest proportion in the US northeast region. A majority of FITs used telehealth (95%) and virtual learning (82%) during the pandemic. Overall, 21% (25 of 120) of FITs expressed concern about potentially lacking clinical experience for independently practicing allergy and immunology. However, FITs using telehealth reported lower concern compared with those who did not (18.4% [21 of 114] vs 66.7% [4 of 6]; P = .01). The survey shows that allergy and immunology trainee experiences have varied considerably since the COVID-19 outbreak. Notably, the adoption of telehealth and virtual learning was commonly reported, and optimization of these virtual experiences will be helpful. Even outside of pandemics, training on the use of telemedicine may be a sound strategy in preparation for future health care delivery and unexpected events.