Adriana Duelo, Founder and Global Director of the International Institute of DAO deficiency (IIDAO) had the opportunity to share the latest advances on DAO deficiency with different professional meetings during this last week. She describes that they have been intense days, but very rewarding and exciting.
Last Thursday, April 11, the III Global DAO Congress was held. This is an annual and a virtual meeting where experts and health professionals come together to update themselves on the subject. Adriana presented the latest study on genetics, DAO deficiency and associated symptoms entitled “Pilot Study on the Prevalence of Diamine Oxidase Gene Variants in Patients with Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance”, which she has carried out together with the University of Barcelona and has recently been published in the journal Nutrients (download article). Other authors also reported their findings, such as Dr. Emma Fortes, a pediatrician who studied the prevalence of variants of the DAO enzyme gene in 300 neonates from the Hospital General de Catalunya, or Dr. José Luis Ponce, who recently has published a work relating Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) with some variant of the AOC1 gene, among others. It was a very enriching congress, with more than 900 registered from all continents. This fact demonstrates, once again, the great international interest in this metabolic disorder called DAO deficiency.
2º Infinity Pharma Meeting – São Paulo, Brasil
The next day Adriana traveled to São Paulo, Brazil, to give a presentation at the 2º Infinity Pharma Meeting, with more than 400 in-person attendees, entitled “Metabolic disorders associated with DAO deficiency and symptoms for our bodies”. Among them were nutritionists, doctors and pharmacists. During this day she was able to share the stage with Dr. Cristiano Rudge, a gastroenterologist who, in recent years, has been very interested in DAO deficiency and is already a reference in his country. Brazil is one of the few regions in all of Latin America that has different diagnostic tests and the DAO enzyme is available in a master formula as a treatment, but there is still a lack of more specialists throughout its territory.
That is why we encourage professionals to join the project of the International Institute of DAO deficiency, an organization that has a global network of health professionals in constant communication, with continuous training and access to its own online platform to care for all its patients. Currently the IIDAO is present in 7 countries and the next call is now open (send application). It will be held in October 2024.
Adriana Duelo at the Universidad Católica del Uruguay
After São Paulo, the trip continued to Montevideo, Uruguay. On Tuesday, April 16, Duelo gave an Open Lecture on DAO deficit at the Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU). This meeting took place thanks to Dr. Patricia Caro and Lic. Clara Elvers, whom Adriana was finally able to meet in person after so many months working together. Elvers is one of the Registered Nutritionists that the IIDAO signed in 2023 to be a reference in Uruguay. The Open Lecture was attended by a forum of the highest quality with paediatricians, allergists, gastroenterologists, family doctors, nutritionists and even patients. Adriana Duelo explained how to address the dietary management of DAO deficiency depending on its origin and insisted on the need to grant regulatory status to the DAO enzyme supplement that both professionals and patients need in Uruguay.
From left to right: Lic. Pilar de León, Lic. Ignacia Pagliettini, Dr. Eleonora Méndez, Lic. Adriana Duelo (IIDAO Professionals) – Plaza de Mayo
And, before returning to Barcelona, a final two-day stop took place in Buenos Aires. Several highly anticipated meetings took place in the Argentine capital. On the one hand, with the presidents of the Argentine Patients Association, who have dedicated a lot of time to giving greater visibility to the DAO deficiency and on the other hand, a meeting with a group of doctors and nutritionists, both from the public and private spheres, from different parts of the country; interested in acquiring more knowledge about this metabolic disorder and seeing how they could collaborate to help more patients. And finally, Adriana was able to see face to face for the first time with part of her team from Argentina and Chile: Dr. Eleonora Méndez and Graduates Pilar de León and Ignacia Pagliettini.
Science and clinical practice are essential, but dissemination and direct contact with professionals is vital to reach so many patients who need to be diagnosed and treated as they deserve.