Novel diagnostic approaches and cost-benefit balance of treatment of immune-mediated and rare disease in the era of biologic drugs: Lessons from the 15th Turin Congress on Immune Pathology and Orphan Disease

摘要

The traditional classification of diseases of the immune system that separates immunodeficiencies [1], allergy and hypersensitivity diseases, autoimmune diseases, and lymphoproliferative disorders is currently outdated. Many experimental observations and clinical data support the existence of a widespread overlapping. Baldovino et al. [2, present issue] reported on the most recent genetic and etiologic data linking common variable immunodeficiency (CV1D) with some autoimmune diseases, and emphasized the need to systematically search for a CV1D in patients with immune-mediated diseases showing deficiency in IgG, IgM or IgA levels. The authors also focused on the possible role of viral and bacterial infections as causative agents of autoimmune and inflammatory manifestations in CVID [3].