Education and debate

Recent Advances: Clinical immunology

BMJ 1996; 312 doi: 10.1136/bmj.312.7044.1465 (Published 8 June 1996)
Cite this as: BMJ 1996;312:1465

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  1. Tom Eirik Mollnes, professor (tomeirik{at}fagmed.uit.no)a,
  2. Morten Harboe, professorb
  1. a Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Nordland Central Hospital, University of Tromso, N-8017 Bodo, Norway
  2. b Institute of Immunology and Rheumatology, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
  1. Correspondence to: Dr Mollnes.

    Abstract

    Summary points

    • The genetic basis for many types of hereditary immunodeficiency has now been found, allowing more precise diagnosis and giving hope for future treatments

    • Manipulation of proteins that regulate complement activation has exciting therapeutic implications, such as ameliorating the hyperacute rejection of xenografts

    • Deficiencies in complement regulators have been implicated in several types of kidney disease, and soluble complement receptor 1 may be useful in future treatments

    • Intravenous immunoglobulin is now used to treat several systemic inflammatory conditions, and its effects include modulating proinflammatory cytokines and complement activation

    • Use of new technologies is allowing development of more effective vaccines and avoidance of adverse effects such as found with whole cell pertussis vaccine

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