Clinical Immunology:
Diagnostic Assay Case Study 2014-15
You are provided with a brief case history of a patient below. Although her symptoms are associated with an auto-immune condition there are many other possible causes. The tentative diagnosis is of a condition that can occur in either primary or secondary forms , the latter being associated with a number of other auto-immune condi tions. Confirmation of the diagnosis and the identificatio n of any associated
conditions requires determination of the presence o r absence of a number of disease markers.
You should research the condition and laboratory te sts that can be performed to confirm the diagnosis. You must write a report which includes a brief introduction to the condition, particularly the immunological aspects, and provides details of the investigations that you would perform to confirm the diagnosis. You should comment on how the markers you propose to measure are associated with the condition, discuss other conditions with which they may be associated and provide a rationale for how these measurements will aid diagnosis. A description of treatments for her condition is no t required.
Patient Details:
A 55-year old woman consults her GP having been suffering from dry eyes and a dry mouth for several months. She also reports having had repeated episodes of swelling around her ears. She is referred to a specialist with a preliminary diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome.