immunosuppression

Examples of immunosuppression in the following topics:

• Immunodeficiencies

  • Secondary immunodeficiencies, also known as acquired immunodeficiencies, can result from various immunosuppressive agents, for example, malnutrition, aging, and particular medications (e.g. chemotherapy, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplants, and glucocorticoids).
  • For medications, the term immunosuppression generally refers to both beneficial and potential adverse effects of decreasing the function of the immune system.
  • Many specific diseases directly or indirectly cause immunosuppression.

• Kidney Transplant

  • Although the donated kidney was rejected ten months later because no immunosuppressive therapy was available at the time—the development of effective antirejection drugs was years away—the intervening time gave Tucker's remaining kidney time to recover and she lived another five years.
  • The basis for most immunosuppressive regimens is prednisolone, a corticosteroid.
  • Thus other, non-steroid immunosuppressive agents are needed, which also allow lower doses of prednisolone.

• Tuberculosis

  • Extrapulmonary TB occurs more commonly in immunosuppressed persons and young children.
  • Diagnosing active tuberculosis based merely on signs and symptoms is difficult, as is diagnosing the disease in those who are immunosuppressed.
  • The test does have limited accuracy, especially in immunosuppressed people, and is typically used in combination with clinical findings and x-rays to reach a diagnosis.
  • Certain medications that cause immunosuppression such as corticosteroids and infliximab, are becoming increasingly important risk factors, especially in the developed world.

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

  • SLE is treatable using immunosuppression, mainly with cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids, and other immunosuppressants; there is currently no cure.
  • DMARDs commonly in use are antimalarials such as plaquenil and immunosuppressants (e.g. methotrexate and azathioprine).
  • Unlike immunosuppressives and corticosteroids, IVIGs do not suppress the immune system, so there is less risk of serious infections with these drugs.

• Graft Rejection and Tissue Typing

  • Transplant rejection can also be limited by the use of immunosuppressant drugs after the transplant.
  • Acute rejection occurs to some degree in all transplants, except between identical twins, unless immunosuppression is achieved (usually through drugs).

• Psoriasis

  • Typically, topical agents are used for mild disease, phototherapy for moderate disease, and systemic immunosuppressant agents for severe disease.

• Glomerular Diseases

  • It is treated with immunosuppressant drugs such as corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, and with plasmapheresis, in which the antibodies are removed from the blood.

• Sinusitis

  • These infections are typically seen in patients with diabetes or other immune deficiencies (such as AIDS or transplant patients on immunosuppressive anti-rejection medications) and can be life-threatening.

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

  • SLE is treatable using immunosuppression.

• Autoimmune Diseases

  • The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression: medication which decreases the immune response.