Comprehensive study of the immune status of the body

At present, clinical immunology has become a link between a number of medical disciplines. Its main tasks include diagnostics, prognosis and development of methods of treatment of human diseases, accompanied by various defects in the immune system. Changes in the immune system in diseases should be considered not in isolation, but in combination with other important systems of vital activity of the body. Complex assessment of the state of various parts of the immune system should take into account both quantitative and qualitative changes in immunity indices. Methods of clinical immunology allow us to solve the following problems.

■ Detect a defect of one or another link of the immune system( congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies).

■ Diagnose autoaggression against normal body components( autoimmune diseases) and excessive accumulation of immune complexes( diseases of immune complexes).

■ To identify dysfunctions in which signs of hyperfunction develop in one or another link of immunity to the detriment of the functioning of other links( hypergammaglobulinemia, heavy chain disease, myeloma, etc.).

■ Monitor the effectiveness of immunosuppressive or immunostimulatory therapy.

■ Conduct typing and selection of donors for organ transplantation and monitoring of immunosuppressive therapy for transplants.

■ Carry out phenotyping of hemoblastoses.

■ Diagnose genetic predisposition to physical illness.

Indications for the appointment of immunological studies consider the following diseases and conditions.

■ Suspected for the presence of genetically determined immune system defects( primary immunodeficiencies).

■ Autoimmune diseases.

■ Allergic conditions and diseases.

■ Infectious diseases with prolonged and chronic course.

■ Suspected for acquired immunodeficiency.

■ Malignant neoplasm.

■ Carrying out cytostatic, immunosuppressive and immunomodulating therapies.

■ Preparation for serious surgical interventions and complicated post-operative period.

■ Survey of recipients before and after organ allotransplantation.

The study of the immune status currently includes the

evaluation of its following components:

■ antigen-specific( humoral and cellular immunity);

■ antigen-specific( system of nonspecific resistance of the organism).

In this case, antigen-specific factors include a humoral and cellular immune response. The first is based on the development of AT, the second - on the action of activated thymus-dependent lymphocytes( T-lymphocytes).For the immune response of the humoral type, the production of AT, which are simultaneously the effectors of the B-link of the immune system, is characteristic. To evaluate this link, studies that characterize the functional activity of the B-link of immunity are used and include the determination of Ig concentrations, the level of AT after prophylactic immunization, the identification of the CEC.The cellular type of response is characterized by the production of a large number of antigen-specific activated B and T lymphocytes. The optimal immune response is realized only by the interaction of the humoral and cellular links of immunity.