Publications by authors named "Albert C Chong"
Fungal Head and Neck Dermatitis: Current Understanding and Management.
Clin Rev Allergy Immunol
June 2024
Article Synopsis
- Head and neck dermatitis (HND) is a severe form of atopic dermatitis that primarily affects seborrheic areas and significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, with treatment being complicated by the ineffectiveness of usual topical therapies and the potential for dupilumab-associated dermatitis (DAHND).
- Research indicates that fungi, particularly Malassezia species, play a crucial role in HND development, as they activate the immune system and cause inflammation via specific immune pathways.
- While antifungals show promise in treating HND, particularly in oral form, the long-term effects are uncertain; new therapies like Janus kinase inhibitors and OX40 inhibitors are being explored, and factors like host microbiome variations could lead to more
Emerging drugs for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: a focus on phase 2 and phase 3 trials.
Expert Opin Emerg Drugs
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- - Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin condition that significantly affects the quality of life, particularly in moderate-to-severe cases where existing treatments often fall short.
- - There is a need for new medications to effectively manage persistent AD symptoms and reduce treatment discontinuation due to side effects, with ongoing research exploring novel therapies targeting immune system pathways.
- - Current clinical trials for 36 new agents, including promising treatments like lebrikizumab and tapinarof, aim to improve the precision of AD management and enhance treatment outcomes while minimizing adverse effects.
Viral infection: A missed cause of chronic spontaneous urticaria?
Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis
June 2024
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minorities. Medical students were also particularly impacted as they coped with increased stressors due to delayed medical training and a high prevalence of mental health conditions. This study investigates mental health disparities of underrepresented in medicine (URM) students at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine (SLUSOM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Suspected strawberry and tomato (S/T) food allergy (FA) can be evaluated using specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) testing despite its low specificity and positive predictive value.
Objective: This study aims to understand ordering patterns for S/T sIgE testing and identify relevant factors to clinical decision-making.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 814 patients with sIgE testing available for strawberries (651), tomatoes (276), or both (113) from January 2012 to May 2022 at a tertiary pediatric hospital.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) has large mental health impacts for patients and caregivers, yet their preferences regarding how to relieve these impacts are poorly understood. To understand patients' and caregivers' preferences for AD-related mental health care and support. We surveyed 279 adult AD patients and 154 caregivers of children with AD across 26 countries regarding their AD-related mental health burden, preferred strategies for improving AD-related mental health, and experiences with mental health care in AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood allergy (FA) is a growing issue worldwide. The United Kingdom and United States are high-income, industrialized countries with reported increases in FA prevalence over the past few decades. This review compares delivery of FA care in the United Kingdom and United States and each country's response to the heightened demand and disparities for FA services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant morbidity, mortality, and mental health consequences. Few studies have examined the mental toll of COVID-19 on United States (US) medical students, who experience greater rates of depression and anxiety than the general population. Students who identify as underrepresented in medicine (URM) may experience even greater mental health adversities than non-URM peers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin conditions in humans. AD affects up to 20% of children worldwide and results in morbidity for both patients and their caregivers. The basis of AD is an interplay between genetics and the environment characterized by immune dysregulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Of Review: While aeroallergens are a well-established trigger of asthma and allergic rhinitis, their role in allergic skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and chronic urticaria remains controversial. This paper reviews the pathophysiology and clinical evidence for aeroallergens in these allergic skin diseases and summarizes current strategies for evaluation and management.
Recent Findings: Current evidence implicates aeroallergens as triggers of cutaneous reactions in atopic dermatitis.
New astroglial injury-defined biomarkers for neurotrauma assessment.
J Cereb Blood Flow Metab
October 2017
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an expanding public health epidemic with pathophysiology that is difficult to diagnose and thus treat. TBI biomarkers should assess patients across severities and reveal pathophysiology, but currently, their kinetics and specificity are unclear. No single ideal TBI biomarker exists.
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