Makati Medical Center installs new allergy diagnosis technology

To enhance its capability in in-vitro allergy testing technique, the Makati Medical Center recently installed the UniCAP system, a product of Pharmacia Diagnostics AB for blood testing of patients with suspected allergies.

"In order to properly serve our doctors and patients, MMC invests in the most modern technology available," said Dr. Raul Fores, president and medical director of MMC. He believes that the UniCAP system is a simple and reliable method to determine the patient’s allergic reactions and to identify the allergens that catalyze allergies.

"Thus, the information that we can derive from the use of the UniCAP system is essential to prescribe the correct treatment and avoid the offending allergens," Fores added.

The installation of the UniCAP system supports the MMC’s continuing quest for medical service excellence. The hospital prides itself as the first hospital in Asia – and one of only 31 certified hospitals in the world – to be certified with ISO 9002-EN 46002.

Growing allergy cases

In the Philippines, allergy experts are alarmed that the steady growth of allergy cases will continue in the coming years since many cases of allergy remain undetected. According to Filipino medical experts, allergy cases have become prevalent as Filipinos become sensitized to a wide range of allergens present in the food we eat, the medications we take, and the environment we live in.

According to the latest survey, there are around seven million Filipinos afflicted with various types of allergies, roughly 10 percent of the entire population. Allergens are substances responsible for the different types of allergic reactions which can lead from simple abdominal and skin manifestations, hay fever, itchy eyes and respiratory symptoms to really severe conditions like asthma and anaphylaxis.

"I believe that it is but essential to diagnose and detect allergy at a very early stage to properly monitor the patient’s allergic status over the years, " Fores said.

The patient’s allergic status can be monitored because although allergy shows itself in many ways and has many causes, it follows a common pattern that develops over age. The development of allergy in relation to age can be described as "allergy march." Allergies in the first stages of life are usually caused by food allergens, later developing into various allergies caused by inhalant allergens.

‘Allergy march’

According to Dr. Ronald Dahl, an international authority on allergy, an early sensitization in the gastro-intestinal tract would later manifest itself as symptoms in the respiratory tract, which then heralds the "allergy march." For successful long-term management of allergic patients, allergy experts consider it essential to identify and reduce exposures to relevant allergens and irritants as early as possible.

Dr. Kjell Kristiansen, regional director for Asian distribution of Pharmacia Diagnostics, recently visited the Philippines to give updates on the Pharmacia UniCAP system. He emphasized the prevalence of allergy diseases in around 30-40 percent of the contemporary global population. Thus, there is a need for an efficient allergy testing system.

Pharmacia Corp., the parent company of Pharmacia Diagnostics in the Philippines, has a world-leading analytical system based on the UniCAP technology already used by seven out of 10 allergy laboratories in Europe and Japan. The UniCAP technology is also being used for allergy testing by more than 300 of the most modern hospitals in Asia.

In the UniCAP system, a simple blood sample is all that is needed to determine which among the over 500 allergens causes the patient’s specific allergic reaction.

"In order to prescribe the best treatment plan for the patient, doctors should be aware of the different allergy tests available through the UniCAP system," stressed Kristiansen.

Three allergy tests

There are three major types of allergy tests available through the UniCAP system. The most general is the Total IgE test that measures the patient’s level of IgE (Immunoglobulin-E). When the IgE level is high, the patient is confirmed to have an allergy.

Another test is the Phadiatop which determines whether the patient’s allergy is caused by inhalant allergens or not. The last type of test is called the specific IgE test which determines exactly which allergen is causing the patient’s allergic reaction.

Through these tests, particularly the specific IgE test, the doctor would be able to advise the patient regarding the proper medication as well as prevention.

The UniCAP system is specially designed to complement the commonly used skin-prick system for blood-testing technique, especially in infants, elderly with wrinkled skin and in patients with extensive allergy injury or extreme sensitivity to allergens. It is also a better option for patients who fear multiple skin-pricking.

WHO standard

The UniCAP system has extremely high sensitivity and specificity and is calibrated by the World Health Organization (WHO) standard.

Kristiansen also took time to personally congratulate Makati Medical Center in its decision to upgrade its allergy diagnosis system through Pharmacia UniCAP.

"We are very happy to play an important part in the management of allergy in the Philippines and the installation of Pharmacia UniCAP in the Makati Medical Center is a significant step toward the realization of this goal," added Kristiansen.

The UniCAP technology was developed by Pharmacia Diagnostics, represented in the Philippines by Trianon International Inc. It is a division of Pharmacia Corp. based in Upsalla, Sweden, which is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostic research and product innovation.

Currently, the state-of-the-art UniCAP allergy technology is also available at the Manila Doctor’s Hospital, The Medical City, Asiatic Medical Laboratory, Healthway Medical Clinics (all branches), Asia Pacific Diagnostic Laboratory (all branches), Perpetual Help Medical Center, Advent Specialist Care, Sim’s Medical Laboratory and Medic World.

For other queries on allergies and MMC’s allergy testing, log on to www.isitallergy.com, call Trianon International Inc. at 892-0723 to 24, or visit the Makati Medical Center.