Mechanisms in adverse reactions to food. The joints and muscles.

There are several reasons for considering the hypothesis that food hypersensitivity might relate to rheumatic diseases. Food can evoke immune responses. Food can cause immunologically mediated symptoms. Immunological mechanisms are important in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases. Antigens triggering rheumatic responses are unknown. Rheumatic diseases have been associated with foods in many reports.

Microcomputer based differential diagnosis of dysmorphic syndromes.

Dysmorphic syndromes are characterized by associations of physical abnormalities depending in its diagnosis on the recognition of a particular pattern. Because of their multiplicity, the rarity of some of them, and the frequency of new reports, computerized data bases have proved useful as powerful tools assisting in the differential diagnosis. The role of artificial intelligence methods, in particular Expert Systems, as promising tools in helping physicians to perform a clinical diagnosis is underlined. Using a high level computer language presently used in the artificial intelligence field (Prolog), a microcomputer based system for the differential diagnosis of dysmorphic syndromes is described. Its capabilities and simplicity of use, derived from an efficient and attractive computer interface, are underlined. The need of performance assessment by evaluating its accuracy and usefulness before its introduction into genetic clinical practice is stressed. Finally, for the completeness of the knowledge base, the need of cooperation between international centers is emphasized.