Immunogram

Regional characteristics and types of immunograms

In practical medicine, assessing the body's defenses is inextricably linked to regional standards. The combination of the most important markers forms an immunogram, reflecting the specific features of immune function in a healthy person. Today, specialists classify these data, identifying eight main types of immunograms:

1. Classic normogram — reflects a normal, balanced state of the immune system.
2. Variants characterized by pronounced suppression of the T-cell link.
3. Variants showing isolated suppression of the B-cell link.
4. Combined forms with simultaneous depression of both T- and B-cell populations.
5. Conditions proceeding with elevated immunoglobulin levels.
6. Conditions accompanied by a decrease in immunoglobulin production levels.
7. Immunograms demonstrating changes in innate (nonspecific) immunity parameters.
8. Variants with a total and uniform increase in all studied immunological parameters.

Note: despite the existence of a clear typology, the exact patterns of distribution of the listed variants depending on geographical or climatic zones remain unclear to this day and require further study.

Clinical syndromes and population screening

Large-scale clinical and laboratory studies are primarily conducted among residents of ecologically disadvantaged regions. The use of a set of diagnostic methods makes it possible to solve three key tasks:

• Form a general risk group for the development of immunodeficiency states;
• Identify a high-risk group;
• Make an accurate clinical diagnosis of immunopathology.

When making a diagnosis, the physician always relies on identifying the leading clinical manifestation. In total, practical immunology distinguishes four leading syndromes:

• Infectious syndrome. This is the most significant one. Its main diagnostic criterion is the presence of chronic recurrent infections or frequently recurring acute infectious diseases in the patient.
• Allergic syndrome.
• Autoimmune syndrome.
• Immunoproliferative syndrome.

Immunological monitoring and epidemiology

Immunological monitoring is used to obtain the most reliable information about the health status of the population. This is a system of regular dynamic tracking of changes in immune status within selected cohorts. Examinations are repeated at clearly defined intervals, which in most cases range from 1 to 5 years. The main practical significance of such monitoring lies in the ability to identify global patterns of how natural and anthropogenic adverse factors affect the human body.

Long-term epidemiological observations have made it possible to collect accurate statistics on the prevalence of pathologies. According to the data obtained, the total size of the risk group for the development of immunopathologies in the population is 2–8%, while the high-risk group is significantly smaller at 0–1.5%.

The distribution of diagnosed immunopathologies by leading syndromes is as follows:

• Infectious syndrome is diagnosed in the vast majority of cases: 70–85%.
• Allergic syndrome occurs in 7–20% of patients.
• Autoimmune syndrome is detected with a frequency ranging from 0 to 15%.
• Immunoproliferative syndrome is the rarest, accounting for 0 to 5%.

Class and exam questions

What else to study on this topic

• Basics of modern immunodiagnostics
• Areas of application of immunological methods in clinical and laboratory practice (3 types of laboratory activity)
• Principles of immunoprophylaxis
• Methods and approaches of immunotherapy in practical medicine

Other topics in the section "Immunity in defense and damage of the organism. Pathology of immunity"

Prepared by WhiteCoat Pro faculty in accordance with the medical school curriculum. For educational purposes only.