In his welcome address, Rector Dr. Béla Merkely expressed his pride in the scientific forum holding a prominent place not only in the life of the university but also in international medical science. He recalled that the professional forum was established 26 years ago, thanks to Dr. Henriette Farkas and Dr. Lilian Varga, outstanding experts at Semmelweis University.
“The event, which dates back to 1999, is an exceptional example of how a dedicated community of experts can build a collaborative network on a global scale aimed at better understanding, treating, and preventing a rare but life-threatening group of diseases. At Semmelweis University, we remain committed to serving our patients and advancing science. To this end, we are also continuously expanding our international relations in education and research. The fact that more than 400 people from over 40 countries registered for today’s event perfectly proves this,” emphasized Dr. Béla Merkely.
The opening night featured an exciting and light-hearted keynote presentation by Nobel laureate Dr. Katalin Karikó on mRNA research and her career. The rich scientific program allowed participants to listen to a total of 49 oral presentations in seven sessions and to view 58 posters in two sessions. In addition to the 107 accepted scientific abstracts, the program included renowned speakers in the field. Steffen Thiel, Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, spoke about the potential role a recently discovered inhibitor protein, Inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4), can play in angioedema, while Professor Anastasios Germenis from Larissa, Greece, described the role of pathogenic variants discovered by whole exome sequencing and the role of variants of unknown significance. Dr. László Cervenák, Senior Research Associate at the Research Laboratory of the Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, gave a presentation on what happens to therapeutic antibodies in the body. Bruce Zuraw, Professor of Allergology and Immunology at the University of San Diego, gave a thought-provoking presentation on the challenges of using newly developed medicines.
Abstracts of presentations and posters presented at the conference are to be published as an open-access supplement of the journal Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology. Several talks addressed the potential use of artificial intelligence, both in terms of diagnostics and the development of patient registries. Many of the studies presented focused on patient-centered topics, such as quality of life, disease burden, or comorbidities associated with angioedema.
The scientific presentations and posters of the research group led by Dr. Henriette Farkas covered a wide range of topics. The prevalence of comorbidities and surgical interventions in hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients in Hungary was investigated, the course of HAE in female and male patients in Hungary was compared, and newly detected SERPING1 variants in patients treated in Hungary were reported. A method was presented to distinguish different forms of the C1 inhibitor carrying the R444C mutation, and the importance of a complete analysis of the complement system in the differential diagnosis of angioedema affecting the central nervous system was highlighted.
The positive changes over the past eight years in the management of children with hereditary angioedema have prompted the international community of experts to develop guidelines for health professionals treating children with angioedema by updating the existing protocols. The proposed guidelines were drafted by a multinational professional panel chaired by Dr. Henriette Farkas, and the final vote on the recommendations was scheduled for this year’s conference.
It has become a tradition that the workshop is not only attended by doctors, clinical and basic researchers, but also by patient representatives and drug developers. The close links and joint thinking between the representatives of the four sectors can lead to fruitful collaborations, as illustrated by the increasingly advanced clinical trials underway or planned for patients with hereditary angioedema, with an increasing number of agents with multiple mechanisms of action. As the role of bradykinin becomes clearer in the pathomechanism of an increasing number of angioedema diseases, these drugs can also be utilized to enhance an ever-wider group of patients’ quality of life.
In keeping with tradition, the “For HAE Patients” Award was presented at the opening ceremony, and this year it was given to Dr. Laurence Bouillet from France. Dr. Marcus Maurer, a German Professor of Dermatology who passed away last year, was awarded the prize posthumously. As in previous years, the four best young speakers under 35 were awarded EUR 2,500 each. The independent international jury was chaired by Stephen Betschel, Professor of Clinical Immunology and Allergology at the University of Toronto. Lili Voloncs-Mindszenthy (supervisors: Dr. Henriette Farkas and Dr. Réka Hanga Horváth), a member of the Students’ Scientific Association at the Hungarian Angioedema Center of Reference and Excellence of the Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, was also among the awardees.
Before the main organizers, Dr. Henriette Farkas and Dr. Lilian Varga, closed the conference, the participants were given a summary lecture on the four days of the conference by Dr. Avner Reshef, Professor of Allergology and Immunology and Head of the Barzilai University Medical Center. The workshop was organized with the assistance of Diamond Congress Ltd.
Text by Dr. Henriette Farkas, Dr. Lilian Varga – Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology
Translation: Judit Szabados-Dőtsch
Image credit: Tamás Thaler
