Xenofon Aggelidis | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (original) (raw)

Papers by Xenofon Aggelidis

Journal of Personalized Medicine, Dec 16, 2023

Clinical and Translational Allergy, Aug 31, 2023

Journal of clinical medicine, Feb 4, 2024

International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, 2007

went the same skin testing comprised the control group. Results: Tryptase concentration was highl... more went the same skin testing comprised the control group. Results: Tryptase concentration was highly elevated 2 h after the reaction (21 g/l) compared with that at 48 h (3 g/l). Skin prick tests in our patient were all negative, while intradermal testing with 0.03 ml of 1: 100 and 1: 10 preparations of Multihance showed a definite positive wheal-and-flare reaction. Skin tests to the alternative agents showed no response. In the control group, all performed tests were negative. Conclusion: We report the first case of an allergic reaction to gadobenate dimeglumine. Besides, skin testing seems to be a precious diagnostic tool which, if positive, strongly suggests a mast cell-mediated underlying mechanism.

In this paper, we propose a multidisciplinary Gesture Recognition case study using a Machine Lear... more In this paper, we propose a multidisciplinary Gesture Recognition case study using a Machine Learning approach for the detection and classification of allergic rhinitis-related gestures. Allergic diseases and especially allergic rhinitis are among the most common diseases in the world, mostly underappreciated, causing considerable impairment of daily activities, including job, and school productivity. For this reason, close monitoring and early recognition of symptoms worsening are considered essential. We hypothesize that recognizing allergic rhinitis to patients by such an approach may be a useful tool for such purpose.In our study, for the first time, the most common allergic rhinitis gestures are identified, based on patients’ description and specialists’ experience. Our data is retrieved by a large pool of active allergic rhinitis patients attending three specialized outpatient clinics in Greece. Gestures are recorded with the help of a wristband Bluetooth device incorporating a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope. Feature engineering and several signal processing methods are then applied to the raw sensor data (which are treated as 6-dimensional signals), and valuable features are extracted related to the time and frequency domains.To improve the performance of the Machine Learning models, we utilize Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and we also use functions such as Grid Search and Randomized Search, in order to achieve higher recognition accuracy by hyperparameter optimization.With these features and steps of processing, we built a classifier that can uniquely identify 15 allergic rhinitis gestures with an accuracy of 93% in a challenging variety of moves in the patient’s head (nose, eye, ear). It is worth noting that allergic rhinitis gestures are more subtle, varied and spontaneous than other moves that have been considered in the literature so far. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a Machine Learning approach is successfully applied in such a challenging field like respiratory diseases.

Allergologia et immunopathologia, Sep 1, 2010

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a global health problem which causes major illness and represent... more Background: Allergic rhinitis is a global health problem which causes major illness and represents a risk factor for asthma. The primary aim of the study was to record the clinical pattern of allergic rhinitis and its temporal relation with asthma in a Greek population. Methods: Three-hundred and sixteen subjects with documented diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in a two-year period were included in this study. All participants completed a standardised questionnaire with full retrospective epidemiological data for rhinitis; in addition, serum IgE measurement and skin prick tests with 22 common inhalant allergens were carried out, while spirometry was performed in subjects with self-reported or doctor-diagnosed asthma. All subjects with at least one positive skin test were included in study analysis. Results: One-hundred and sixty five out of 316 patients (49.1%) stated self reportedasthma while in 63/316 (19.9%) asthma was documented with spirometry. One hundred out of 165 (60.6%) had rhinitis as first clinical manifestation while in 24/165 (14.5%) asthma symptoms appeared first; the remaining 31/165 (24.9%) reported simultaneous onset of upper and lower airways' symptoms. About 68.5% were sensitised to seasonal allergens exclusively, while 50% were sensitised to Z1 of Parietaria, grasses sp., Olea eur. The duration of rhinitis in the subpopulation of patients with self-reported asthma (n ¼165) was significantly higher compared with non-asthmatics (mean ¼ 3.22 years, po0.001). Survival analysis for the estimation of asthma onset showed that the mean time interval with rhinitis only is 16.6 years (median 12 years, incidence 0.0596). Conclusions: The unique environmental conditions and the aerobiology of each area clearly affect the clinical features of respiratory allergy.

Allergy, Jan 22, 2015

Growing evidence identifies histamine as a key player in allergic responses, but the reports rela... more Growing evidence identifies histamine as a key player in allergic responses, but the reports relating serum histamine to tolerance are scarce and inconclusive. This study investigated the relationship of circulating histamine to the tolerant phenotype in allergic beekeepers. The results showed a positive correlation between the serum levels of histamine and specific immunoglobulin G4 (sIgG4) to honeybee venom, but not with total IgE or sIgE. Interestingly, both sIgG4 and histamine levels were negatively correlated with the time since the last bee sting. In contrast to total IgE and sIgE, serum sIgG4 and histamine levels followed comparable patterns, being higher in tolerant/recently stung individuals and lower in the least frequently stung subgroup. The data obtained in this pilot study associated, for the first time, serum histamine levels with allergen tolerance in allergic individuals and provided the lead for further considering the putative immunomodulatory properties of histamine in allergic responses.

Journal of Personalized Medicine, Sep 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Clinical and Translational Allergy, Dec 1, 2020

There are large between-and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low deat... more There are large between-and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPARγ:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NFκB: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2α:Elongation initiation factor 2α). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT 1 R axis (AT 1 R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity.

Methods in pharmacology and toxicology, 2017

International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, Aug 8, 2015

Background: There are major differences in the clinical pa ern of allergic rhinitis (AR) patients... more Background: There are major differences in the clinical pa ern of allergic rhinitis (AR) patients among countries, reflecting local aerobiological conditions. We analyzed the correlation between airborne pollen concentrations of the Western Thrace/northeast (NE) Greece region with symptoms scores in AR patients. The above data is the first provided for the Mediterranean climate of Greece and reflects the clinical significance of pollen calendar in everyday clinical practice. Methods: An annual pollen calendar of the most important outdoor aeroallergens (grasses, trees, and weeds) was developed, using a Burkard volumetric spore trap. A total of 168 AR patients were studied and asked to evaluate their symptoms and main seasonal appearance. Sensitization prevalence to pollen species was detected by skin prick tests. Symptoms were evaluated by Total 5 Symptoms Score (T5SS) and correlated to aerobiological data. Results: As far as the pollen calendar is concerned, the highest total percentages of pollens were recorded for olive (24.02% of total), oak (13.74%), grasses (9.08%), and cypress (7.63%). Regarding patients' sensitivities, the most prevalent ones were to grasses (56.0%), olive (43.5%), wall pellitory (24.4%), and cypress (16.7%) antigens. A strong significant correlation between total pollen counts and patients' T5SS (r = 0.874, p < 0.001) was observed. Moreover, strong significant correlations between T5SS and pollen counts were also found for the most prevalent species, including grasses, olive, and Parietaria allergens (r = 0.627, p = 0.029; r = 0.695, p = 0.012; and r = 0.656, p = 0.021, respectively). Conclusion: Patients' symptoms scores were found to be significantly correlated to pollen counts. Given data are important for the management of AR patients who live in similar Mediterranean climate conditions. C 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Laryngoscope, Sep 15, 2015

Objectives/HypothesisAlternaria and Cladosporium are the most important outdoor moulds. The aim o... more Objectives/HypothesisAlternaria and Cladosporium are the most important outdoor moulds. The aim of this study was to present fungal spore monitoring data, investigate the relationship of fungal counts with climate conditions, and to explore the clinical significance of Alternaria and Cladosporium species monitoring in allergic rhinitis (AR).Study DesignAnalytic observational study.MethodsA 7‐day volumetric trap was used to collect circulating Alternaria and Cladosporium fungi. Sixty‐nine AR patients were studied and recorded their symptoms by Total 5 Symptoms Score (T5SS). Sensitization prevalence to fungi species was detected by skin prick tests. Monitoring data were correlated to climate conditions and patients symptoms score.ResultsAlternaria and Cladosporium were detected throughout the calendar year in ranges of 0 to 217 spores/m3 and 6.5 to 1,600 spores/m3 per day, respectively. Highest daily concentrations of both fungi were detected during the summer (73.9 ± 34.4 spores/m3 for Alternaria and 595.8 ± 288.0 spores/m3 for Cladosporium) and lowest during the winter (2.4 ± 3.0 spores/m3 for Alternaria and 24.3 ± 15.7 spores/m3 for Cladosporium). Both were positively correlated to mean daily temperature and negatively to relative humidity (all P < 0.001). Clinically, a strong significant correlation between T5SS and airborne fungi levels, both for Alternaria (r = 0.822, P = 0.001) and Cladosporium (r = 0.787, P = 0.002) species was observed.ConclusionsWe found Cladosporium to be the most frequently detected airborne mould, whereas Alternaria was the most prevalent with regard to sensitization rate. Patients' symptoms score was significantly correlated to spore concentrations. Both fungi were clearly affected by climate factors, such as temperature and relative humidity. These findings are important in AR management.Level of EvidenceN/A. Laryngoscope, 126:E51–E56, 2016

Clinical and Translational Allergy

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, Jul 1, 2008

Coronary artery disease is associated with increased serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides a... more Coronary artery disease is associated with increased serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL, but low levels of HDL. The most potent agent capable of reversing this trend is the vitamin nicotinic acid (niacin). However, compliance even with extended-release preparations and addition of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is hampered by the development of a feeling of erythema and burning ("flush"), especially on the face. We recently showed that the natural flavonoids quercetin and luteolin can eliminate "flush", as well as inhibit both niacin-induced plasma prostaglandin D, (PGD z) and serotonin increase in an animal model. We conducted a pilot clinical study in humans. Four normal male subjects received (a) 1 g immediate release niacin either alone or after (b) the dietary formulation (Algonot-plus") containing 150 mg quercetin per capsule. Subjects completed a visual scale (l=no, 5=worst response) symptom assessment. Erythema and burning sensation scores were both 4.75±0.50 and lasted for 3.63±1.11 hours. After Algonot-plus" administration, both scores were reduced to 2.5±0.58 and lasted for only 1.68±O.70 hours. Quercetin also inhibited methylnicotinate-induced human mast cell PGD z release. These preliminary results suggest that quercetin could reduce niacin-induced "flush" in humans.

Applied Immunohistochemistry & Molecular Morphology, 2020

2022 18th International Conference on Distributed Computing in Sensor Systems (DCOSS)

Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology, 2014

Journal of Personalized Medicine

The European Anaphylaxis Registry (NORA) was designed in order to create a comprehensive Anaphyla... more The European Anaphylaxis Registry (NORA) was designed in order to create a comprehensive Anaphylaxis Registry regarding anaphylactic reactions characteristics and management in several European countries, including Greece. This study aims to analyze Greek data obtained in the NORA framework and describe anaphylaxis’ characteristics in this pediatric cohort. An online questionnaire was filled out by the Allergy Unit of the 2nd Pediatric Department of NKUA, regarding reported anaphylaxis characteristics. A total of 284 pediatric patients were analyzed. Patients were predominantly male. A previous, mild reaction (59.5%) to the same allergen was documented in 44.4% of patients. The most common system involved was skin and/or mucosa, followed by the respiratory system. Food was the most common eliciting factor (82.4%). First line treatment was most administered solely by a healthcare professional, followed by a lay person (38.7%). Auto injected adrenaline use by lay persons was third in ...