Open Access7 th International Immunoglobulin Conference: Immunodeficiencies
Author(s) -
Schmidt R. E.,
Ochs H. D.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/cei.12497
Subject(s) - common variable immunodeficiency , primary immunodeficiency , medicine , pediatrics , immunodeficiency , intensive care medicine , severe combined immunodeficiency , immunology , quality of life (healthcare) , antibody , immune system , biology , biochemistry , nursing , gene
Summary Awareness of the challenges involved in diagnosing and treating a heterogeneous group of immunodeficiency disorders is growing. The improvements in neonatal screening offer new methods to ensure that primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are diagnosed as early as possible, enabling accurate treatment and the prevention of life‐threatening infections and other complications. Additionally, the need to individualize patient therapy in order to optimize both clinical outcomes and quality‐of‐life is obvious and is exemplified by the ability to switch between intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin administration offering flexible treatment regimens. However, further research is crucial in order to determine the optimal treatment for secondary immunodeficiencies, and to gain greater understanding of the underlying causes of PIDs, including common variable immunodeficiency. The information relating to the growth of patient registries is encouraging, with approximately 25 000 patients with PIDs included in the two registries discussed. Registries such as this are vital for future research, as well as providing an educational resource.