Treatment of immunodeficiency Institute of Technology. Immunologist Irina Kondratenko - about the treatment of immunodeficiency and ways to get sick less often. But it doesn't weaken the immune system.

Immunodeficiency states or immunodeficiency is a group of various pathological conditions characterized by a violation of the human immune system, against which infectious and inflammatory processes are repeated much more often, they are difficult, and they last longer than usual. Against the background of immunodeficiency in people of any age group, serious diseases are formed that are difficult to treat. Due to the course of this process, cancerous neoplasms can form that are life-threatening.

This condition, depending on the causes of occurrence, can be hereditary and acquired. This means that the disease often affects newborn children. Secondary immunodeficiency is formed against the background of many factors, including trauma, surgery, stressful situations, hunger and cancer. Depending on the type of disease, various symptoms may appear, indicating damage to the internal organs and systems of a person.

Diagnosis of impaired immune function is based on general and biochemical blood tests. Treatment is individual for each patient, and depends on the factors that influenced the occurrence of this condition, as well as the degree of manifestation of characteristic signs.

Etiology

There are many reasons for the occurrence of an immunodeficiency state, and they are conventionally divided into several groups. The first is genetic disorders, while the disease can manifest itself from birth or at an early age. The second group includes complications from a wide range of pathological conditions or diseases.

There is a classification of immunodeficiency states, which is divided depending on the factors due to which this condition has formed:

• primary immunodeficiency is caused by a genetic disorder. It can be transmitted from parents to children or occurs due to a genetic mutation, which is why there is no heredity factor. Such conditions are often diagnosed in the first twenty years of a person's life. Congenital immunodeficiency accompanies the victim throughout life. Often leads to death, due to various infectious processes and complications from them;
• secondary immunodeficiency is a consequence of many conditions and diseases. A person can get sick with this type of immune disorder for the reasons indicated above. It occurs several times more often than the primary;
• severe combined immunodeficiency is extremely rare and is congenital. Children die from this type of disease in the first year of life. This is due to a decrease in the number or dysfunction of T and B lymphocytes, which are localized in the bone marrow. This combined condition differs from the first two types, in which only one type of cell is affected. The treatment of such a disorder is only successful if it is detected in a timely manner.

Symptoms

Since the classification of the disease includes several types of disorders, the expression of specific symptoms will differ depending on the form. Signs of primary immunodeficiency are frequent lesions of the human body by inflammatory processes. Among them:

• abscess;

In addition, immunodeficiency in children is characterized by digestive problems - lack of appetite, persistent diarrhea and vomiting. There are delays in growth and development. The internal manifestations of this type of disease include - and the spleen, changes in the composition of the blood - the number and decreases.

Despite the fact that primary immunodeficiency is often diagnosed in childhood, there are several characteristic signs that indicate that an adult may have this type of disorder:

• frequent attacks of otitis, purulent nature, and sinusitis more than three times a year;
• severe course of the inflammatory process in the bronchi;
• recurring inflammation of the skin;
• recurring diarrhea;
• the occurrence of autoimmune diseases;
• transfer at least twice a year of severe infectious processes.

Symptoms of secondary immunodeficiency are those signs that are characteristic of the disease that provoked it. In particular, the symptoms of the lesion are noted:

• upper and lower respiratory tract;
• upper and deeper layers of the skin;
• organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
• genitourinary system;
• nervous system. At the same time, a person feels chronic fatigue, which does not go away even after a long rest.

Often, people experience a slight increase in body temperature, convulsive seizures, as well as the development of generalized infections that affect several internal organs and systems. Such processes pose a threat to human life.

Combined immunodeficiencies are characterized by physical developmental delay in children, a high level of susceptibility to various infectious and inflammatory processes, and chronic diarrhea.

Complications

Depending on the type of disease, different groups of consequences of untimely treatment of the underlying disorder may develop. Complications of immunodeficiency in children can be:

• various infectious processes recurring with high frequency, of a viral, fungal or bacterial nature;
• the formation of autoimmune disorders, during which the immune system acts against the body;
• high probability of occurrence of various diseases of the heart, gastrointestinal tract or nervous system;
• oncological neoplasms.

Consequences of secondary immunodeficiency:

• pneumonia;
• abscesses;
• blood infection.

Regardless of the classification of the disease, with late diagnosis and treatment, a fatal outcome occurs.

Diagnostics

People with immunodeficiency states have pronounced signs that they are sick. For example, a painful appearance, pallor of the skin, the presence of diseases of the skin and ENT organs, a strong cough, inflamed eyes with increased tearing. Diagnosis is primarily aimed at identifying the type of disease. To do this, the specialist must conduct a thorough survey and examination of the patient. After all, the tactics of treatment depend on what the disease is, acquired or hereditary.

The basis of diagnostic measures are various blood tests. General analysis provides information on the number of cells of the immune system. A change in the amount of any of them indicates the presence of an immunodeficiency state in a person. To determine the type of disorder, a study of immunoglobulins, i.e. the amount of proteins in the blood, is carried out. The study of the functioning of lymphocytes is carried out. In addition, an analysis is carried out to confirm or deny the genetic pathology, as well as the presence of HIV. After receiving all the test results, the specialist establishes the final diagnosis - primary, secondary or severe combined immunodeficiency.

Treatment

To select the most effective tactics for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency, it is necessary to determine the area in which the disorder has occurred at the diagnostic stage. In case of immunoglobulin deficiency, patients are given injections (lifelong) of plasma or serum from donors, which contain the necessary antibodies. Depending on the severity of the disorder, the frequency of intravenous procedures can be from one to four weeks. With complications of this type of disease, antibiotics are prescribed, in combination with taking antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal medicines.

Prevention

Since congenital immunodeficiency is formed against the background of genetic disorders, it is impossible to avoid it by preventive measures. People need to follow a few rules to avoid recurrence of infections:

• do not carry out long-term use of antibiotics;
• timely undergo vaccinations recommended by specialists;
• carefully follow all the rules of personal hygiene;
• enrich the diet with vitamins;
• refuse contact with cold people.

Prevention of secondary immunodeficiency includes vaccination, depending on the doctor's prescriptions, protected sexual contacts, timely treatment of chronic infections, moderate exercise, a rational diet, taking courses of vitamin therapy.

If any manifestations of immunodeficiency conditions occur, you should immediately seek advice from a specialist.

Is everything correct in the article from a medical point of view?

Answer only if you have proven medical knowledge

And the heating not working in the cold - for many this was enough to get sick in the spring. The appearance of SARS, colds and almost any disease is inextricably linked with the work of the human immune system. Some people, in order not to get sick, drink Kagocel, others eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, others take vitamins or dietary supplements. Irina Kondratenko, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Head of the Immunology Department at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, told The Village whether it is possible to boost immunity, whether yogurts and vitamins in capsules help with this, how stress affects health, and what immune memory is.

How is immunity formed in humans?

The immune system, in fact, is engaged in recognizing foreign elements in the body. Such recognition exists even in unicellular organisms, and the more complex the organism, the more difficult the protection - both from external factors and from failures inside. For example, if a tumor cell or a cell into which a virus has entered appears, and viral proteins appear on its surface, such a cell is destroyed. This system is called acquired immunity.

The human immune system is formed even before birth, and after birth it actively learns to recognize foreign agents, including pathogens. The first way we can help the child's immunity is simply to keep him under normal conditions, that is, if the child is healthy, if his immune system is working normally, then he should fully contact the external environment, he should not be artificially limited.

- If you restrict a child from contact with the environment in the hope that he will not get sick, how will this affect immunity?

Badly. He will not live forever under a cap, sooner or later he will have to face the influence of the outside world: he will want to take a walk on the street, he will want to eat sand in the sandbox, and so on.

Most children go to kindergarten and school, where they encounter a significant amount of microorganisms carried by the people around them. The better the baby is prepared, that is, the better his immune system is familiar with external aggressors, the less he will get sick.

There is the concept of "immune memory" - this is the body's ability to remember viruses in order to successfully repel their attacks the next time they encounter them. However, for some viruses, the immune memory is short. For example, we get chickenpox once in a lifetime, but you can get sick with the flu a hundred times, because the virus changes quickly and the body does not remember it for a long time.

- It turns out that the older a person is, the better his immunity is?

Unfortunately no. On the one hand, with age, a person is faced with a large number of diseases, but on the other hand, the body grows old, decrepit, and the immune system along with it. In old age, a person's immunity weakens, he cannot defend himself against diseases, as before.

- That is, with age, it becomes more and more difficult to increase immunity?

Look, what kind of regeneration does the child have? Everything heals on him like on a dog. For a teenager, everything is not so simple, for a 40-year-old it is even worse, and for an 80-year-old it is generally bad. This applies to all body systems: cardiovascular, nervous, and immune. A person who takes care of himself, makes his brain work and goes for a walk, has a strong body and rarely gets sick. And an elderly sedentary person who sits a lot in a confined space and gets sick with something has a very weak immune system. A little blow on him - and that's it. And the one who runs skiing at the age of 80, try to freeze.

- Is it possible to effectively increase immunity and get sick less?

To increase immunity is not to boil a kettle, and the opinion that immunity must be increased is not very true. Every intervention in such a complex mechanism as immunity must be justified.

Professor Andrey Petrovich Prodeus (who works in the ninth children's hospital) once conducted a study in six Moscow kindergartens. I do not remember the exact numbers, but about 300 people participated in it. Before the start of the study, the Soviet system was restored in all kindergartens, in which a nurse worked at the entrance, who did not allow sick children to visit the kindergarten and sent them home with their parents. As a result of the experiment, the incidence in gardens has halved. Without the use of drugs and immunity-improving biological food supplements.

Parents often turn to an immunologist with a complaint that their child is constantly sick, for example, twice a month. But in fact, you can’t get sick twice a month, because after fighting the infection, immunity should be restored. If someone gets sick twice a month, then these are not two different diseases, but one untreated.

The best advice I can give is not to take sick children to children's institutions, and for adults to try not to endure colds on their feet. And you should also get a dog or just imagine that you have one. In other words, go for a walk in the morning and evening, and you will be healthy.

To increase immunity, many drink immunomodulators, of which there are a lot of types, but, unfortunately, the mechanism of the “magic” action of most of them has not been studied and their effectiveness has not been proven.

- Wait. What are immunomodulators?

An immunomodulator is a kind of "magic" smart tool that regulates the immune system. However, the only modulators that, in my opinion, can be used are preparations containing parts of disease-causing organisms. These organisms are capable of triggering an immune response, but they cannot lead to disease. In fact, these are such small vaccinations. Subject to the instructions and recommendations of an immunologist, treatment with such drugs often has a good effect.

If somebody sick twice a month these are not two different diseases, but one undertreated

- What kind of small vaccinations?

You know, it is now forbidden to name trade preparations everywhere. But I have already said that these are preparations created on immunogenic substances from common microorganisms that cause infections.

- Are these small vaccinations prescribed in clinics?

They don't need to be prescribed, and you don't need a prescription to buy them. But a competent doctor, of course, can advise them.

- Do Aktimel, Immunele and other similar drinks increase immunity?

These drinks are enriched with various beneficial microorganisms, without which we cannot exist. Once in the intestines, where we have a lot of immune cells, they not only improve digestion, but also, through complex mechanisms, have a very mild positive effect on the immune system.

If a before the race runner to make an immunogram, then he will have only one blood count, and if you do at the finish line the results will be similar to those of a person with severe immunodeficiency

- How many illnesses per year is considered the norm for a resident of a metropolis? That is, to what extent it is not necessary to sound the alarm?

By American standards, a child can get uncomplicated respiratory viral infections 10 to 12 times a year. By our standards, it's good if a child gets sick no more than six times, and an adult even less.

But it depends on many risk factors: where and how a person works (in a team or in a separate office), how and how often he uses transport, and other things. For example, if in winter you go into the subway in a fur coat, and then run out into the cold with a wet back, then, naturally, you catch a cold. In addition, the metro has a closed ventilation system, air circulation is limited, people inhale the same thing they exhale, and there are a huge number of people. Someone sneezed, coughed - and everyone breathes all this. The same goes for working in a large team: it’s one thing when you sit alone in an office or work at home, and another thing when you sit in a team: someone came with a cold - and everyone along the chain got sick.

- Why do we get sick more often in winter than in summer, although fewer viruses survive at low temperatures?

Yes, because we walk the streets in fur coats, and it's hot in transport. Accordingly, our body tolerates temperature changes, and most people are not ready for this. In addition, few people are tempered.

Indeed, the influenza virus does not survive in extreme cold, but there are many other pathogens. In winter, a lot of troubles pile up on us at once: damp weather, changes in atmospheric pressure or severe stress for a variety of reasons are bad for the whole body, and the immune system is the hardest.

- But the immune system does not weaken?

Immunity is not weakened, but is subjected to great stress. In winter it is cold, damp, people get sick more often. Moreover, if a person fell ill with one disease and has not yet recovered, and someone sneezed on him, then he can get sick again. In summer, this happens less often, because the environment is better.

Does human stress affect the immune system?

Immunity is also affected by such simple things as nutrition, rest, morale. Stress, of course, too. The most obvious example is the stress experienced by athletes. For example, if a runner is given an immunogram before a race, he will have the same blood counts, and if done at the finish line, the results will be similar to those of a person with a severe type of immunodeficiency.

From emotions, the cortex and other structures of the brain are excited, the hypothalamic-pituitary system forces the adrenal cortex to produce more hormones that negatively affect lymphocytes (defender cells). Therefore, if you are tired or overexerted, the immune system has a hard time. But you do not need to swallow drugs, including immunomodulators. If possible, you should just relax, calm down, eat well, get vitamins, trace elements and minerals. If you do not have congenital immunity disorders, if you are a healthy person, then this is enough for the body to start working well again.

Sometimes it even happens that people do not get sick under some kind of adverse effect, because they are tense and concentrated on some kind of activity: the child fell ill - the mother was mobilized, and then the child recovered - the mother relaxed and fell ill with an infection. Because the immune system, on which there are many influences, reacted incorrectly, the internal regulation was disturbed.

Does taking vitamins affect the immune system?

Vitamins should be enough, but primarily due to good nutrition. Naturally, there are times when immune cells lack resources. For example, in the spring after a long period without berries, fruits and sun, or in regions where there is a lot of meat and little cereals, people have a lack of B vitamins. Or just a person eats monotonous food out of habit - then there are not enough vitamins and there is a need to take additional artificial ones.

Vitamins do not have a direct effect on the immune system: I drank - and there were more lymphocytes. Vitamins influence indirectly. That is, they help to improve the work of other systems, organs - and the immune system also becomes easier.

genetically determined disease does not necessarily manifest itself from birth, it can manifest itself in adulthood: at the age of 15, and at 35, and at 70

How to recognize immunodeficiency in yourself?

Looking for illness in oneself is a thankless task. Many people think that their symptoms always correspond to the disease being described.

There are so-called warning signs, on the basis of which immunodeficiency can be suspected. Among them, it is worth highlighting more than six otitis media per year, two sinusitis per year, skin problems, taking antibiotics does not help for more than two months, thrush, complications during vaccinations, developmental delays, micronodules, structural features of the face, fevers, arthritis, and so on. If you have two signs from the list, then you need to sign up for a consultation with an immunologist.

What causes immunodeficiencies?

There are a lot of primary immunodeficiencies: these are congenital, genetically determined diseases. More than 350 forms have been described so far. Primary immunodeficiencies have a different genetic nature and varying degrees of severity. There are harmless, and there are absolutely incompatible with life, if they are not treated, patients can live no more than 12-18 months. Therefore, not diagnosed immunodeficiency in time can lead to death. The overall incidence of primary immunodeficiency is approximately 1:10,000, although it varies widely among different forms.

Despite the fact that primary immunodeficiencies are of a genetic nature, the disease does not necessarily manifest itself from birth, it can also manifest itself in adulthood: at the age of 15, and at 35, and at 70. This does not apply to all forms of primary immunodeficiencies, but only to a few , for most, a late start is casuistry. Why this happens is not yet fully understood, genetic defects are also influenced by various factors, which are called epigenetic. It is possible that there are some other mechanisms that we have not yet recognized.

Secondary immunodeficiencies are not genetically determined, they are caused by the influence of some factors: tumors, severe infections, tropical diseases, severe injuries and extensive burns. For example, a child gets sick with blood cancer (leukemia) - they begin to treat him with chemotherapy to kill tumor cells, at the same time they kill non-tumor cells - secondary immunodeficiency develops. Unlike primary, secondary immunodeficiencies are transient, that is, after the end of exposure to adverse factors, the immune system gradually recovers itself.

How is immunodeficiency treated?

There are forms that do not even need to be treated. And there are those for whom conservative treatment will not help. Then it is necessary to change the diseased immune system to a healthy one, that is, to carry out transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells, from which a healthy immune system is formed. In many forms, if you prescribe the necessary therapy (administer immunoglobulin, use antibiotics and other anti-infective drugs according to indications), you can live the way people live without illness.

Diseases of the immune system are among the most common forms of pathology in modern man. Of the large list of state and commercial medical institutions in St. Petersburg, only a very small part of them has all the necessary capabilities and highly qualified doctors for the most accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of diseases of the immune system. "Union Clinic" refers to such medical institutions, has extensive experience in the field of clinical immunology, well-deserved authority among professionals and patients.

The immune system among all the life support systems of the body, it is one of the most significant, performing extremely important functions to protect the body from various foreign substances.

These substances include:

• infectious factors dangerous to the body (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa);
• modified cells that have arisen in the body (for example, tumor cells),
• components of transplanted organs and tissues,
• allergens.

All listed substances contain agents (antigens) alien to the body. It is the antigens that, when they enter the body, cause the activation of various parts of the immune system. The work of immunity is carried out at the expense of special cells (granulocytes, macrophages, T- and B-lymphocytes) and organs of the immune system (bone marrow, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, lymphoid tissue of the mucous membranes). As a result of the coordinated work of various components of the immune system, antigens are neutralized and safely removed from the body.

The most common type of immune system disorder is immunodeficiency.

Immunodeficiency - this is a quantitative or functional insufficiency of the main components of the immune system.

As a result decreased activity of the immune system in persons with immunodeficiency, as a rule, at the earliest stages of the development of this pathological process, symptoms that are difficult to explain for the patient and for an inexperienced doctor appear, the so-called preclinical stage of the disease. At the same time, against the background of apparent general well-being with health, phenomena of rapid fatigue, poor tolerance of mental or physical stress may occur, and the so-called “chronic fatigue syndrome” may develop. In young and seemingly healthy people, sexual desire often decreases, and in men potency sometimes decreases. At the earliest stages of immunodeficiency in a number of patients, doctors note an inexplicable increase in body weight, and in some cases, weight loss, a disorder of various types of metabolism.

In the later periods of the progressive development of an immunodeficiency state, chronic, often recurrent, sluggish viral, bacterial, fungal infections that are not amenable to conventional therapy are characteristic. The frequency of occurrence, for example, of colds in adults suffering from immunodeficiency, can exceed 4 times a year. These same individuals are more likely than people with a normally functioning immune system to develop oncological pathology, develop allergic and autoimmune (i.e., immunoaggressive) diseases. It should be noted that there are extremely many clinical manifestations of immunodeficiency states, pathology can affect any organs and physiological systems of a person, therefore, each patient, as a rule, develops his own symptom complex of the disease, which is unique to him, and it is up to an experienced doctor to unravel the essence of which.

Immunodeficiencies are divided into primary (hereditary) and secondary (acquired).

Primary immunodeficiencies occur long before the birth of a child and are associated with genetic defects in the development and maturation of one or more components of the immune system. They are congenital disorders of the immune system, often accompanied by congenital malformations of other body systems.

Secondary (acquired) immunodeficiencies develop in later childhood or adulthood and are not the result of genetic disorders. In quantitative terms, among immunodeficiencies, they occupy a dominant position. Secondary immunodeficiencies can be caused by failure of various parts of immunity: humoral and cellular immunity, synthesis of complement components, insufficient activity of phagocytic cells, etc. Often the occurrence of secondary immunodeficiencies is associated with a specific cause: x-ray exposure, taking certain medications. Sometimes immunity disorders develop secondary to the underlying disease, subsequently they aggravate its course, contribute to the formation of severe complications and adverse outcomes.

Diagnosis of immunodeficiency states should be complex. It includes both clinical and laboratory methods (CBC, assessment of immune status, cytokine profile, etc.), which can be performed at Union Clinic.

Clinical witnesses of immunodeficiency can be:

• frequent bacterial, viral, mycotic infections;
• various lesions of the skin and visible mucous membranes (rashes, warts, genital warts, acne, etc.);
• weight loss
• intestinal dysfunction (diarrhea, rumbling, bloating, intestinal dysbacteriosis, etc.);
• the presence of chronic inflammatory diseases (chronic bronchitis, tonsillitis, cholecystitis, prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, nephritis, sinusitis)

One of the most important tasks of a doctor examining patients with immunodeficiency is to identify possible causes that contributed to the development of this pathological condition.

The most common causes of immunodeficiency states are:

• chronic recurrent infectious diseases;
• anthropogenic factors (deterioration of the environment, changes in soil composition, work with organic dyes and lead salts, electromagnetic radiation);
• irrational nutrition (for example, deficiency of proteins, vegetables and fruits containing antioxidants, vitamins, microelements);
• chronic stress (physical or emotional);
• unreasonably long-term use of drugs that affect the immune system (hormonal drugs, immunomodulators, cytostatics). self-medication;
• operations performed on the organs of the immune system: removal of palatine tonsils, thymus gland - thymus, spleen, appendix (appendix), etc.;
• occupational hazards (contact with salts of heavy metals, electromagnetic radiation, radionuclides);
• prolonged, as well as severe intestinal dysbacteriosis;
• chronic intoxication (alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction);
• diseases in close relatives (allergic and autoimmune diseases, oncological pathology, congenital immunodeficiencies, short life expectancy, etc.).

The more of these factors there are, the more likely it is that the patient has an immunodeficiency condition that requires careful examination and correction.

Assistance in establishing the presence and clarifying the type of immunodeficiency is provided by special laboratory research methods that can be carried out at Union Clinic.

The first ideas about the state of the immune system can be obtained by evaluating the results of a clinical blood test. A sign of immunodeficiency may be a decrease in the level of white blood cells - leukocytes, especially if it is due to a decrease in the level of lymphocytes, which are active participants in immune reactions.

However, a clinical blood test provides only indirect information. If a pathology of the immune system is suspected, a more in-depth laboratory study of it is required - an immunogram. This study, which allows you to more accurately specify and assess the state of immunity, is being successfully carried out at the Union Clinic.

Immune status (immunogram) is a blood test that examines the components of the immune system. It takes into account the number of cells (T and B-lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils), their percentage and functional activity, as well as the "substances" that these cells produce - immunoglobulins (Ig) of classes A, M, G, E, components of the system complement. Sometimes "pathological antibodies" are determined in the immunogram - antinuclear factor, rheumatoid factor, antibodies to phospholipids and others.

A special immunological study - cytokine status allows for clinical and laboratory analysis of those regulatory systems that provide management and control over all aspects of the functioning of the immune system. Without this section of immunological diagnostics, examination of a patient with suspected and, moreover, identified immunodeficiency cannot be considered complete and up-to-date.

The interpretation of the results of the immunogram, including the cytokine status, is quite complicated and should be carried out exclusively by a specialist doctor. Evaluation of immunological indicators allows the doctor to clarify in which of the links of immunity the breakdown occurred, ensures the accuracy of the laboratory and clinical characteristics of immunodeficiency - the type and severity of the process, and, of course, is the rationale for choosing one or another drug that affects the immune system. The type and severity of immunodeficiency determines the type of therapy.

A unique test for the presence of an immune-dependent form of food intolerance, as one of the frequent variants of immune disorders, is a blood test for the presence of antibodies to food allergens. It is in Union Clinic that the above-mentioned diagnostic test has been carried out since 2002.

Immunomodulators called medicines that, in therapeutic doses, restore the functions of the immune system (effective immune protection).

Once again, it must be emphasized that before starting immunomodulatory therapy, an assessment of the patient's immune status is necessary. The same clinical picture in different patients may be due to defects in various parts of the immune system. The immunogram serves as the basis for starting immunocorrection and is used to evaluate its effectiveness.

The appointment of a drug that affects the immune system should be carried out only by a specialist doctor. Unreasonable and uncontrolled administration of a number of immunomodulators to frequently and long-term ill patients can provoke the development of a severe autoimmune process or “paralyze” the immune system for a long time.

The main points of application for immunomodulating drugs are immunocompetent cells (macrophages, natural killers (NK), neutrophils, T- and B-lymphocytes), the processes of interaction of such cells or their products (antibodies, cytokines) with appropriate targets.

General principles of application immunomodulators

1. Immunomodulators are used both in combination with antibiotics, antifungal, antiprotozoal or antiviral agents, thereby causing a "double blow" to the infectious agent, and as monotherapy for immunorehabilitation measures.

• It is advisable to prescribe immunomodulators early (from the first day of using a chemotherapeutic etiotropic agent).
• The severity of the effect of immunomodulatory therapy during treatment in the acute period of the disease is greater than in the remission stage.
• The action of any immunomodulator is multifaceted: it is enough, for example, to activate macrophages, as their release of cytokines will set the entire immune system in motion.

2. A decrease in any one parameter of immunity, revealed when assessing the immune status of a practically healthy person, is not necessarily the basis for prescribing immunomodulatory therapy to him. Dynamic monitoring of such a patient is shown.

• Immunomodulators do not affect unchanged parameters of the immune system.
• It is desirable to use immunomodulators against the background of immunological monitoring.

It is important to note once again that self-treatment of immunodeficiency states is very dangerous. This can lead to irreversible health consequences. We invite all those who need highly qualified medical and diagnostic care in the field of clinical immunology to Union Clinic.

"UNION CLINIC" guarantees complete confidentiality of your treatment.

Immunodeficiency is a condition that is characterized by a decrease in the function of the immune system and the body's resistance to various infections.

From the point of view of etiology (reasons for the development of the disease), we distinguish between primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.

1. Primary immunodeficiencies- This is a group of diseases that is characterized by a decrease in the function of the immune systemoccurring against the background of various genetic disorders. Primary immunodeficiencies are quite rare, about 1-2 cases per 500,000 people. In primary immunodeficiencies, individual components of immunity may be impaired: the cellular link, the humoral response, the phagocyte and compliment system. So, for example, immunodeficiencies with a violation of the cellular link of immunity include such diseases as agamaglobulinemia, DiGiorgio syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, Bruton's disease. Violation of the function of micro and macrophages are observed during chronic granulomatosis, Chediak-Higashi syndrome. Immunodeficiencies associated with a violation of the compliment system are based on a deficiency in the synthesis of one of the factors of this system. Primary immunodeficiencies are present throughout life. Patients with primary immunodeficiency, as a rule, die from various infectious complications.
2. Secondary immunodeficiencies are much more common than primary ones. Usually, secondary immunodeficiencies develop against the background of exposure to the body of adverse environmental factors or various infections. As in the case of primary immunodeficiencies, in secondary immunodeficiencies, either individual components of the immune system, or the entire system as a whole, can be disturbed. Most secondary immunodeficiencies (with the exception of immunodeficiency caused by infection with the HIV virus) are reversible and respond well to treatment. Below we consider in more detail the significance of various adverse factors in the development of secondary immunodeficiencies, as well as the principles of their diagnosis and treatment.

Reasons for the development of secondary immunodeficiency
Factors that can cause secondary immunodeficiency are very diverse. Secondary immunodeficiency can be caused by both environmental factors and internal factors of the body.

In general, all adverse environmental factors that can disrupt the body's metabolism can cause the development of secondary immunodeficiency. The most common environmental factors that cause immunodeficiency include environmental pollution, ionizing and microwave radiation, poisoning, long-term use of certain drugs, chronic stress and overwork. A common feature of the factors described above is a complex negative effect on all body systems, including the immune system. In addition, factors such as ionizing radiation have a selective inhibitory effect on immunity associated with inhibition of the hematopoietic system. People living or working in a polluted environment are more likely to suffer from various infectious diseases and more likely to suffer from cancer. It is obvious that such an increase in the incidence in this category of people is associated with a decrease in the activity of the immune system.

Internal factors that can provoke secondary immunodeficiency include:

Diagnosis of immunodeficiency
Primary immunodeficiency usually appears immediately after the birth of a child or some time after it. To accurately determine the type of pathology, a series of complex immunological and genetic analyzes are carried out - this helps to determine the place of impaired immune defense (cellular or humoral link), as well as determine the type of mutation that caused the disease.

Secondary immunodeficiencies can develop at any time in life. Immunodeficiency can be suspected in the case of frequently recurrent infections, the transition of an infectious disease to a chronic form, the ineffectiveness of conventional treatment, a small but prolonged increase in body temperature. Various tests and tests help to establish an accurate diagnosis of immunodeficiency: complete blood count, determination of blood protein fractions, specific immunological tests.

Treatment of immunodeficiency
Treatment of primary immunodeficiencies is a difficult task. To prescribe a complex treatment, it is imperative to establish an accurate diagnosis with the definition of a disturbed link in the immune defense. With a lack of immunoglobulins, lifelong replacement therapy is carried out with sera containing antibodies or ordinary donor plasma. Immunostimulating therapy with drugs such as Bronchomunal, Ribomunil, Taktivin is also used.

If infectious complications occur, treatment with antibiotics, antiviral or antifungal drugs is prescribed.

In secondary immunodeficiencies, disorders of the immune system are less pronounced than in primary ones. As a rule, secondary immunodeficiencies are temporary. In this regard, the treatment of secondary immunodeficiencies is much simpler and more effective than the treatment of primary disorders of the immune system.

Usually, treatment of secondary immunodeficiency begins with determining and eliminating the cause of its occurrence (see above). For example, the treatment of immunodeficiency against the background of chronic infections begins with the sanitation of foci of chronic inflammation.

Immunodeficiency against the background of vitamin and mineral deficiency is being treated with the help of complexes of vitamins and minerals and various food supplements (BAA) containing these elements. The regenerative capacity of the immune system is great, therefore, the elimination of the cause of immunodeficiency, as a rule, leads to the restoration of the immune system.

To speed up recovery and specific stimulation of immunity, a course of treatment with immunostimulating drugs is carried out. At the moment, a large number of different immunostimulating drugs are known, with different mechanisms of action. Preparations Ribomunil, Christine and Biostim contain antigens of various bacteria and, when introduced into the body, stimulate the production of antibodies and the differentiation of active clones of lymphocytes. Timalin, Taktivin - contain biologically active substances extracted from the thymus of animals. Cordyceps - is the most effective immunomodulator that normalizes the immune system as a whole as a system. These drugs have a selective stimulatory effect on a subpopulation of T-lymphocytes. Sodium nucleinate stimulates the synthesis of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), cell division and differentiation. Various types of interferons increase the overall resistance of the body and are successfully used in the treatment of various viral diseases.

Immunomodulatory substances of plant origin deserve special attention: Immunal, Echinacea rosea extract, and especially Cordyceps.

Bibliography:

• Khaitov R.M., Secondary immunodeficiencies: clinic, diagnosis, treatment, 1999
• Kirzon S.S. Clinical immunology and allergology, M. : Medicine, 1990
• Modern problems of allergology, immunology and immunopharmacology, M., 2002

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Expert advice is required!

It is worth thinking about our protective shield already when the first signs of its weakening appear: frequent colds, weakness, dizziness, etc. Many factors can provoke IDS, so it is necessary to know the nature of its appearance in order to select an adequate method for eliminating the disease. An immunologist is called upon to clearly identify the prerequisite that led to the disease.

There are two main types of pathology.

1. Primary immunodeficiency is a congenital disease caused either by genetic defects or by various influences during prenatal development. Depending on the level of exposure and localization of the process, they are: cellular, antibody, combined, expressed by deficiency of the complement system and defects in phagocytosis.
2. Secondary immunodeficiency. This pathology is much more common. The disease is caused by a wide variety of environmental factors that negatively affect almost all elements of the immune system. This group includes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, known as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The list of causes of secondary immunodeficiency is quite wide:

• lack of important substances for the proper development of the body, due to malnutrition;
• the impact on the body of chronic infections, which, constantly affecting the immune system, eventually lower its reactivity. Also, such diseases have a bad effect on the state of the hematopoietic system, which is responsible for the creation of extremely important lymphocytes;
• helminthiasis;
• blood loss or kidney failure;
• various kinds of poisoning, prolonged diarrhea, due to which there is a sharp loss of all essential nutrients;
• diabetes mellitus or thyroid disorders;
• oncological diseases.

The process of the procedure

Training

If you or your child gets sick often and therapy doesn't help, it's worth getting your immune system checked. Before the first trip to the doctor, you can prepare a little so that the consultation goes quickly and efficiently. For example:

1. Write down any symptoms you notice.
2. Collect all previous test results you have ever taken.
3. Do some family history research.
4. Make a list of your recent medications and vitamins.
5. Prepare in advance all the questions that you plan to ask the doctor.

Such actions will help the health worker to quickly diagnose the disease and prescribe the necessary therapy.

The pain relief process

Treatment of primary immunodeficiency is carried out using the following methods:

• etiotropic therapy (in this case, the patient's genomic deficiency is corrected);
• treatment with immunostimulants;
• transplantation of bone marrow, immunoglobulins, thymus cells.

Treatment of immunodeficiency in children, as well as in adults, is carried out under the supervision of a specialist. Secondary IDS is much easier to cure than primary, because the prerequisites for its appearance are transient factors. Therefore, it is possible to have an effective suppressive effect on them using the right therapy. After the diagnosis and establishment of the true cause, a course of treatment is prescribed.

More often than adults, children are more susceptible to secondary IDS, since they have not yet fully formed a mechanism for combating harmful environmental factors.

Against the background of a lack of vitamins and minerals, appropriate vitamin complexes are prescribed. If the presence of a chronic infection is established, then first of all, its foci are sanitized.

Immunostimulants help to strengthen the immune system after suffering illnesses and operations.

Symptoms

Signs differ depending on the type of disease and each person can have an individual character. Among them:

• frequent infectious disorders that recur from time to time;
• infection and other ailments of the blood;
• developmental delay;
• problems with the digestive tract;
• fungal infections;
• stomatitis;
• hair loss;
• allergic reactions;
• weight loss.

Contraindications

Reception of almost every immunostimulant has its own contraindications. Particular care should be taken when treating children with autoimmune problems. It is worth taking drugs for such children only as prescribed by the attending physician. However, like pregnant women.

Complications

Characteristic complications for both types of the disease are serious infectious pathologies, such as pneumonia, sepsis, and others, which depend on the cause of IDS. Early diagnosis can prevent long-term problems.

Prices and clinics

Such a difficult problem should be trusted only to professionals with many years of experience. The portal site will assist in the selection of a decent clinic and doctor, including taking into account your financial capabilities.