Case study 1:
A 3-month-old baby presents with severe and persistent infections. He is not growing because of viral and parasitic (Cryptosporidium) gastroenteritis.He needs oxygen to breathe because of viral/parasitic pneumonia. He has fungal infection (Candida) in his mouth and his bladder.
Questions
1. What major component of the immune system is important in host immunity to viruses?
2. What component of this infant's immune system may be missing?
3. What simple laboratory tests would help to work out what is wrong with this child?
4. 4. What general treatment options are available for treatment of this patient?
Case study 2
A 16 month old infant presents with severe disseminated mycobacterial infection, and was previously treated for a Cytomegalovirus infection. The child has fever, sweating and diarrhoea, and abdominal tenderness and lymphadenopathy on examination.
1. What component of the immune system may be defective?
2. Discuss likely diagnoses from the clinical picture.
3. What are the associated pathways involved?
4. Discuss how signalling would normally protect the patient, and how the defect impacts the immune response.