scholarly journals Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases in Iran: Past, Present and Future

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-124
Author(s):  
Asghar Aghamohammadi ◽  
Hassan Abolhassani ◽  
Nima Rezaei
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency ◽  
Clinical Immunology ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Fellowship Training ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Immunodeficiency Diseases

Clinical immunology and its subset topics are rather newly emerging medical fields in Iran as well as other developing countries. Primary immunodeficiency diagnosis and treatment were revolutionized in the late 1970s; a period of time that coincided with the establishment of the Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the Children’s Medical Center, Tehran. Subsequently, the launch of fellowship training programs (in 1988), the development of a national Iranian Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Registry (in 1999), the inauguration of Research Center for Immunodeficiencies (in 2009), and recently, the national primary immunodeficiency network (in 2016) significantly changed the picture of disease management during the last 40 years. In this review, we seek to elucidate the most important past events, current challenges and future directions regarding the field of primary immunodeficiency.

Professor Asghar Aghamohammadi (1951-2020)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Rezaei
Keyword(s):  
Primary Immunodeficiency ◽  
Clinical Immunology ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Immunodeficiency Diseases ◽  
International Collaborations ◽  
Fundamental Research

Professor Asghar Aghamohammadi, the founder of the Immunology and Genetics Journal, passed away on November 14th, 2020, at the age of 69. We were terribly shocked by his death due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), while he had been working continuously and actively until late October, before his admission to the hospital because of an infection by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Professor Aghamohammadi was born in 1951 in Khouzestan Province, Iran. After completing his primary education in Ahvaz, he studied medicine in Mashad University of Medical Sciences and Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. After graduating in 1978, he joined the Red Crescent Organization in Iran. Afterwards, he continued his education in pediatrics in 1984, followed by a fellowship in clinical immunology and allergy in 1988. Consequently, he became the faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, where he dedicated all his life researching on the Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PIDs), by making the infrastructure for increasing the general awareness about PIDs, conducting fundamental research on PIDs, and facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of patients with PIDs. Professor Aghamohammadi established the “Iranian Association for PID Patients Support”, the “Iranian Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Registry (IPIDR)”, “Research Center for Immunodeficiencies”, “Iranian PID Network”, and the “Immunology and Genetics Journal”. His international collaborations and hard works, along with his honesty, are some of his landmarks, which made him one of the world’s scientists top 1%. This is what the young generation should learn from him. The international PIDs communities, including the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID), the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS), the International Patient Organization for Primary Immunodeficiencies (IPOPI), the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF), and the J Project respect him a lot and cannot forget his amazing efforts in the field of PIDs for all these years. We all at the Research Center for Immunodeficiencies (RCID) and the Immunology and Genetics Journal (IGJ), are still in shock and cannot imagine continuing without him. We will not forget that the father of the PIDs in Iran was a remarkable scientist. He will remain in the minds and hearts of all those who were close to him. May his name be always remembered with respect and love.

PP574 Cost-Effectiveness Of Newborn Screening Of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases: A Systematic Review And Economic Evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (S1) ◽  
pp. 43-43
Author(s):  
Junting Yang ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Zhao Liu ◽  
Ning Yue ◽  
Yuehua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Newborn Screening ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency ◽  
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases ◽  
Immunodeficiency Diseases ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
Trec Assay ◽  
The Cost

IntroductionPrimary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are a heterogeneous group of over 200 disorders with defects in the function and/or development of the immune system. Although early screening is imperative for improving therapeutic efficiency and preventing disease-associated morbidity, its widespread use has been limited, owing to the low incidence of PIDs. It is particularly important to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of PIDs screening for newborns. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the existing cost-effectiveness evidence on newborn screening of PIDs and to provide reference for decision-makers in China and other developing countries.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review using three electronic databases (PubMed, CNKI, and CSPD) of cost and cost-effectiveness studies of PIDs screening published during 2000–2019. Two reviewers independently searched databases and screened titles, abstracts and full texts; a third reviewer resolved disputes when necessary. The initial search returned 124 references, of which 10 full articles were included in the review. Five of the studies conducted analyses using model-based techniques.ResultsSevere combined immunodeficiency (SCID) was the predominantly studied condition (80%). Most studies (70%) examined the T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) assay. A healthcare system's perspective was commonly used (50%) for cost calculations, and most studies (50%) were US-based. The majority (67%) of the studies found the TREC assay an effective screening tool for SCID, but the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) varied across screening test specificity and disease incidence.ConclusionsEvidence from the published literature demonstrated that newborn screening for PIDs generally appeared to be cost-effective, and most importantly, it is lifesaving and allows children with PIDs an opportunity to live a healthier life. However, the type of PIDs included in this study were limited and most studies were done in developed countries whose health systems are different from low-/middle-income countries (LMIC). Further research is required to identify the cost-effectiveness of PIDs screening both in developed and developing countries.

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