Texas Children’s Immunology team recently hosted The Biennial William T. Shearer “Innovations in Primary Immunodeficiency and Clinical Immunology” symposium. A large turnout of immunologists from Houston including presenters and attendees across the globe participated in this informative event.
With more than 300 identified genes contributing to primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD) genes to date, the goal of the symposium was to raise awareness among the medical community on the importance of the early and accurate detection and diagnosis of PIDD.
Based on published clinical retrospective studies, delayed diagnosis of PIDD can result in increased morbidity and mortality. Other studies also have shown that there is a significant delay in the diagnosis of PIDD among physicians in the at-large community compared to the expert community.
“With the large number of genes that can contribute to PIDDs, it is important to continually update the community on how to properly identify and diagnose patients,” said Dr. Jordan Orange, Texas Children’s chief of the section of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology.
Several insightful presentations and discussions among physicians, scientists and nurses included:
- Updates on the treatment of PIDD
- Innovative diagnostic tests for the early and accurate detection of PIDD
- Discussion on newly described PIDD genes
- Updates in the field of auto inflammatory and lymphoproliferative disease
- Insights into emerging immunological barriers faced by PIDD patients
- Update on new and innovative therapies for food allergies
Several Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine presenters at the symposium included Chivon McMullen-Jackson, RN; Silke Paust, PhD; and Drs. Jordan Orange, James Lupski, Sara Anvari, and Carl Allen.