Erroneous detection of desensitization doses in the prevention of hypersensitivity reactions

BACKGROUND: Desensitization protocols have empirically established their efficacy and safety in eliminating most of the hypersensitivity reactions to drugs and other allergens. Without such procedures, the offending drugs can otherwise be lethal, for some patients, when singularly administered at therapeutic doses. These binding events and the subsequent signaling cascades have been extensively modulated by different desensitization methods, without any clear explanation as to why it is necessary to use increasing allergen doses. PURPOSE: To use a novel theoretical approach in order to model the desensitization algorithms currently in practice, that seeks to shed light on the mechanism behind their clinical efficacy. METHOD: An approach using signal processing concepts is applied in this work to introduce aliasing as the erroneous detection of higher drug doses responsible for the efficacy of desensitization procedures. RESULTS: Available experimental data is modeled and correct predictions as to the efficacy of the drug treatment procedures are produced. CONCLUSIONS: Desensitization algorithms may benefit from using concepts from signal processing theory in order to avoid hypersensitivity reactions.