Publications by authors named "K Heremans"

Background: In light of the pandemic of spurious penicillin allergy, correct diagnosis of amoxicillin (AX) allergy is of great importance. The diagnosis of immediate hypersensitivity reactions relies on skin tests and specific IgE, and although reliable, these are not absolutely predictive. Therefore, drug challenges are needed in some cases, which contain the risk of severe reactions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Immediate hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, can be challenging to diagnose due to their varied clinical presentations and the often unclear mechanisms behind them.
  • Anaphylaxis may not always involve the traditional allergen-specific immune response; alternative triggers can activate mast cells and basophils differently, such as through complement-derived substances or specific receptor activation.
  • Conditions like clonal mast cell diseases can also lead to anaphylaxis, and ongoing research is highlighting non-allergen-related pathways for hypersensitivity, necessitating a reevaluation of diagnostic approaches.
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Introduction: Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug in the world and carries a risk of severe IgE-mediated allergic reactions, requiring appropriate diagnostic management. Currently available diagnostics are still relatively limited and require careful interpretation of results to avoid harmful over- and underdiagnosis.

Areas Covered: This review focuses on the most up-to-date understandings of cannabis allergy diagnosis, starting with the main clinical features of the disease and the allergenic characteristics of , and then providing insights into , and diagnostic tests.

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The basophil activation test (BAT) has emerged as a reliable complementary diagnostic to document IgE-dependent allergies and to study cross-reactivity between structural homologues. However, the BAT has some weaknesses that hinder a wider application. The BAT requires fresh blood samples and is lost as a diagnostic in patients showing a non-responder status of their cells.

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High-pressure investigations of phospholipids at low degrees of hydration are highly important due to the continuous interest in hydration related phenomena. This is for instance the case when discussing differences between the molecular behaviour under hydrostatic or hydration pressure, e.g.

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