Common Variable Immunodeficiency: ICOS Deficiency In Patients With CVID Diagnosis

Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most frequent primary immunodeficiency in man that requires medical intervention. Most cases are sporadic, but about 10% are familial, with a predominance of autosomal dominant over autosomal recessive inheritance. It has recently been shown that homozygous loss of the inducible costimulator (ICOS) on activated T cells may result in an adult form of CVID with autosomal recessive inheritance. ICOS belongs to the family of costimulatory T-cell molecules such as CD28 and CTLA-4. (more…)

Multiple Antibiotic Allergy Syndrome| Penicilin Allergies

Patients (and many doctors) frequently use the term ‘allergy’ when referring to any adverse drug reaction, even one that has no features of an IgE-mediated allergy response. However, IgE-mediated allergy explains only about 10% of all adverse reactions to antigen antibody reactions from antibiotics. Patients who have experienced unexplained symptoms during treatment with two or more antibiotics are often said to have ‘multiple antibiotic allergy’; using this definition, the description can be applied to one patient in every 22. (more…)

Specific Immunotherapy in Allergic Rhinitis

Specific immunotherapy has been widely used to treat allergic rhinitis symptoms. As with any other form of specific immunotherapy, careful patient selection is crucial. The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis needs to be secure, especially in those with perennial symptoms, and should be based on a careful clinical history supported by documentation of IgE-mediated sensitivity by skin prick test or blood tests. (more…)