SCCM is performing maintenance on its websites. For the best browsing experience, please use Microsoft Edge or Safari. Those using Chrome or Firefox may experience access issues at this time.

Category: Immunology

Category Search

visual bubble
visual bubble
visual bubble
visual bubble

Impact of Rapid Exome Sequencing on Management of Critically Ill Children

Dive into a study that evaluates a standardized process of using rapid exome sequencing to help diagnose critically ill children with suspected genetic diseases in this Concise Critical Appraisal.


Detection and Profiling of Human Coronavirus Immunoglobulins in Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

From Critical Care Explorations. The authors performed anticoronavirus immunoglobulin G profiling of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients to better define their underlying humoral response.


Letter to the Editor: Cytokine Blockade in Coronavirus Disease 2019: Keeping an Open Mind

From Critical Care Explorations.  This Letter to the Editor was written in response to the article by Rizvi and Gallo De Moraes entitled “New Decade, Old Debate: Blocking the Cytokine Pathways in Infection-Induced Cytokine Cascade.”


Increased Glucocorticoid Receptor Alpha Expression and Signaling in Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

From Critical Care Medicine. In this study, the authors found that ICU coronavirus disease 2019 patients showed upregulated glucocorticoid receptor alpha and glucocorticoid-inducible leucine zipper expression, along with cortisol levels, compared with ICU noncoronavirus disease 2019 patients. Thus, they concluded, on ICU admission, critical coronavirus disease 2019 appears to be associated with hypercortisolemia, and increased synthesis of glucocorticoid receptor alpha and induced proteins.


Increased Glucocorticoid Receptor Alpha Expression and Signaling in Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

From Critical Care Medicine. In this study, the authors found that ICU coronavirus disease 2019 patients showed upregulated glucocorticoid receptor alpha and glucocorticoid-inducible leucine zipper expression, along with cortisol levels, compared with ICU noncoronavirus disease 2019 patients. Thus, they concluded, on ICU admission, critical coronavirus disease 2019 appears to be associated with hypercortisolemia, and increased synthesis of glucocorticoid receptor alpha and induced proteins.


Editorial: Utility of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Immune Profiling for the Clinician at the Bedside

From Critical Care Medicine. This Editorial was written in response to the article by de Roquetaillade et al. entitled “Comparison of Circulating Immune Cells Profiles and Kinetic Between Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Bacterial Sepsis,” which explores the relationship between the immune profile of COVID-19 patients and clinical outcomes.


Impact of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions on ICU Admissions During Lockdown for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in New Zealand—A Retrospective Cohort Study

From Critical Care Medicine.  In this study, the authors found that the he institution of nonpharmaceutical interventions was associated with a significant decrease in elective and acute ICU admissions and ICU resource use. These findings may help hospitals and health authorities planning for surge capacities and elective surgery management in future pandemics.


Performance Analysis of the National Early Warning Score and Modified Early Warning Score in the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial Cohort

From Critical Care Explorations.  In this study, the authors sought to validate prognostic scores in coronavirus disease 2019 including National Early Warning Score, Modified Early Warning Score, and age-based modifications, and define their performance characteristics.


Interleukin-7 Reverses Lymphopenia and Improves T-Cell Function in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patient With Inborn Error of Toll-Like Receptor 3: A Case Report

From Critical Care Explorations. Interleukin-7 Reverses Lymphopenia and Improves T-Cell Function in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patient With Inborn Error of Toll-Like Receptor 3: A Case ReportG966


Identification of Aggravation-Predicting Gene Polymorphisms in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Using a Candidate Gene Approach Associated With Multiple Phase Pathogenesis: A Study in a Japanese City of 1 Million People

From Critical Care Explorations  In this observational study, the authors successfully identified significant genetic factors in OAS1 and IL1B genes using a candidate gene approach study as valuable information for further mechanistic investigation and predictive model building.


Letter to the Editor: Coronavirus Disease 2019: Understanding Immunopathogenesis Is the “Holy Grail” to Explain Why Children Have Less Severe Acute Disease

From Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. In this letter to the editor, the authors state that the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is important not only to understand the epidemiologic and age-related differences in COVID-19, but it is critical for the identification of appropriate treatment, as well as for the development of a highly immunogenic vaccine with low risk of antibody dependent enhancement.


Role for Anti-Cytokine Therapies in Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019

From Critical Care Explorations. In this narrative review, the authors summarize existing knowledge of the immune response to coronavirus infection and highlight the current and potential future roles of therapeutic strategies to combat the hyperinflammatory response of patients with coronavirus disease 2019.


The Association of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Pulmonary Pathophysiology of Respiratory Failure in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019

From Critical Care Explorations. The authors investigated  the pathophysiological relationship between proinflammatory cytokines and respiratory failure in severe coronavirus disease 2019.


Delayed Development of Coronary Artery Dilitation in Suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome: More Research Needed

From Critical Care Explorations. In this case report, the authors describe a pediatric patient with coronavirus disease-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome without robust hyperinflammation and a delayed finding of coronary artery dilatation, which they believe highlights the need for further mechanistic understanding of coronavirus disease-19 disease and subsequent multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or Kawasaki disease development.


Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a Children's Hospital in New York City

From Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. In this article, the authors report their experience developing a clinical inpatient protocol for the evaluation, management, and follow-up of patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome.


Caring for Critically Ill Children With Suspected or Proven Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection: Recommendations by the Scientific Sections’ Collaborative of the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care

From Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. In this article, the authors review the current clinical knowledge of coronavirus disease 2019 disease in critically ill children and discuss some specific treatment concepts based mainly on expert opinion based on limited experience and the lack completed controlled trials in children at the time of the paper.


Inflammatory Response and Phenotyping in Severe Acute Respiratory Infection From the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Other Etiologies

From Critical Care Medicine

The authors evaluated the inflammatory response in patients with severe acute respiratory infection due to the Middle East respiratory syndrome and non-Middle East respiratory syndrome and assessed the presence of distinct inflammatory subphenotypes using latent class analysis.


CDC Resources: Immunology

SCCM’s COVID-19 Rapid Resource Center now links to pertinent content from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These resources are categorized as Immunology


In Vitro–Administered Dexamethasone Suppresses T Cell Function With Reversal by Interleukin-7 in Coronavirus Disease 2019

From Critical Care Explorations. The authors evaluated the in vitro effects of dexamethasone phosphate on T cell function in peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from patients with acute, severe, and moderate coronavirus disease 2019.


Comparison of Circulating Immune Cells Profiles and Kinetics Between Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Bacterial Sepsis

From Critical Care Medicine.  In this article the authors present a longitudinal analysis of the immune response in coronavirus disease 2019 patients, its correlation with outcome, and comparison between severe coronavirus disease 2019 patients and septic patients. They conclude that severe coronavirus disease 2019 is associated with a unique immune profile as compared with sepsis. Several immune features are associated with outcome and suggest that immune monitoring of coronavirus disease 2019 might be helpful for patient management.