Advances in clinical immunology in 2015

Abstract

Advances in clinical immunology in the past year included the report of practice parameters for the diagnosis and management of primary immune deficiencies (PIDs) to guide the clinician in the approach to these relatively uncommon disorders. We have learned of new gene defects causing immunodeficiency and of new phenotypes expanding the spectrum of conditions caused by mutations found in one gene, such as a specific RTEL1 mutation causing isolated NK cell deficiency, and mutations in RAB27 resulting in immunodeficiency without albinism. Advances in diagnosis included the increasing use of whole exome sequencing to identify gene defects, and the measurement of serum free light chains to identify secondary hypogammaglobulinemias. For several PIDs, improved outcomes have been reported after definitive therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy.

Revealing the dynamics of a mitochondrial microenvironment during apoptosis under two-photon fluorescence lifetime microscopy using a cyclic iridium(iii) complex

“…3 Deranged apoptotic processes and pathways may cause a variety of diseases such as tumorigenesis, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, and common diseases. 4,5 Thus, apoptosis detection methods are crucial for the diagnosis of multiple diseases. However, the most accurate detection of apoptotic cells is based on proteomic WB of quiescent cells and morphological observations such as those in electron microscopy.…”

Biologic response modifiers: Indications, implications, and insights

“…This becomes even more multidimensional when one adds the interaction of these 2 systems with innate lymphoid cells and their products. 1,2 This understanding is mirrored or confirmed by some of the unanticipated consequences of biological response modifiers (BRMs). Another concept gaining recent traction is compartmentalization of the immune response; this is also mirrored by the apparent paradoxical effects of BRMs on, for example, skin versus joints.…”