This report updates the 2002 recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on the use of influenza vaccine and antiviral agents (CDC. Prevention and Control of Influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2002;51 [No. RR-3]:1-31). The 2003 recommendations include new or updated information regarding 1) the timing of influenza vaccination by age and risk group; 2) influenza vaccine for children aged 6-23 months; 3) the 2003-2004 trivalent inactivated vaccine virus strains: A/Moscow/10/99 (H3N2)-like, A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like, and B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like antigens (for the A/Moscow/10/99 [H3N2]-like antigen, manufacturers will use the antigenically equivalent A/Panama/2007/99 [H3N2] virus, and for the B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like antigen, manufacturers will use either B/Hong Kong/330/2001 or the antigenically equivalent B/Hong Kong/1434/2002); 4) availability of certain influenza vaccine doses with reduced thimerosal content, including single 0.25 mL-dose syringes; and 5) manufacturers of influenza vaccine for the U.S. market. Although the optimal time to vaccinate against influenza is October and November, vaccination in December and later continues to be strongly recommended A link to this report and other information regarding influenza can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/fluvirus.htm.

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/6625/cdc_6625_DS1.pdf

Prevention and control of influenza : recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

Apoptosis by death factor.

Cell Death: Critical Control Points

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), affect over 2.5 million people of European ancestry, with rising prevalence in other populations. Genome-wide association studies and subsequent meta-analyses of these two diseases as separate phenotypes have implicated previously unsuspected mechanisms, such as autophagy, in their pathogenesis and showed that some IBD loci are shared with other inflammatory diseases. Here we expand on the knowledge of relevant pathways by undertaking a meta-analysis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis genome-wide association scans, followed by extensive validation of significant findings, with a combined total of more than 75,000 cases and controls. We identify 71 new associations, for a total of 163 IBD loci, that meet genome-wide significance thresholds. Most loci contribute to both phenotypes, and both directional (consistently favouring one allele over the course of human history) and balancing (favouring the retention of both alleles within populations) selection effects are evident. Many IBD loci are also implicated in other immune-mediated disorders, most notably with ankylosing spondylitis and psoriasis. We also observe considerable overlap between susceptibility loci for IBD and mycobacterial infection. Gene co-expression network analysis emphasizes this relationship, with pathways shared between host responses to mycobacteria and those predisposing to IBD.

/pdf/host-microbe-interactions-have-shaped-the-genetic-36s5uqxkgi.pdf

Host-microbe interactions have shaped the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease

Medical genetics was revolutionized during the 1980s by the application of genetic mapping to locate the genes responsible for simple Mendelian diseases. Most diseases and traits, however, do not follow simple inheritance patterns. Genetics have thus begun taking up the even greater challenge of the genetic dissection of complex traits. Four major approaches have been developed: linkage analysis, allele-sharing methods, association studies, and polygenic analysis of experimental crosses. This article synthesizes the current state of the genetic dissection of complex traits--describing the methods, limitations, and recent applications to biological problems.

https://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/foc.4.3.442

Genetic dissection of complex traits

Rare genetic disorders affect millions of individuals worldwide. Many of these disorders can take decades to correctly diagnose. Because of this, genome sequencing of newborns raises a substantial opportunity to identify genetic disorders before they present symptoms, and to identify patient risks at the start of life. Many of these disorders can take decades to correctly diagnose. Because of this, genome sequencing of newborns raises a substantial opportunity to identify genetic disorders before they present symptoms, and to identify patient risks at the start of life. This workshop will report on efforts to screen newborns using genetic sequencing technologies, and attendant biomedical informatics and computational biology approaches.

https://psb.stanford.edu/psb-online/proceedings/psb16/brenner.pdf

Use of genome data in newborns as a starting point for life-long precision medicine.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) comprises rare inherited disorders of immunity that require definitive treatment through hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or gene therapy for survival. Despite successes of allogeneic HCT, many SCID patients experience incomplete immune reconstitution, persistent T-cell lymphopenia, and poor long-term outcomes.We hypothesized that CD4+ T-cell lymphopenia could be associated with a state of T-cell exhaustion in previously transplanted SCID patients.We analyzed markers of exhaustion in blood samples from 61 SCID patients at a median of 10.4 years after HCT.Compared to post-HCT SCID patients with normal CD4+ T-cell counts, those with poor T-cell reconstitution showed lower frequency of naive CD45RA+/CCR7+ T cells, recent thymic emigrants, and TCR excision circles. They also had a restricted TCR repertoire, increased expression of inhibitory receptors (PD-1, 2B4, CD160, BTLA, CTLA-4), and increased activation markers (HLA-DR, perforin) on their total and naive CD8+ T cells, suggesting T-cell exhaustion and aberrant activation, respectively. The exhaustion score of CD8+ T cells was inversely correlated with CD4+ T-cell count, recent thymic emigrants, TCR excision circles, and TCR diversity. Exhaustion scores were higher among recipients of unconditioned HCT, especially when further in time from HCT. Patients with fewer CD4+ T cells showed a transcriptional signature of exhaustion.Recipients of unconditioned HCT for SCID may develop late post-HCT T-cell exhaustion as a result of diminished production of T-lineage cells. Elevated expression of inhibitory receptors on their T cells may be a biomarker of poor long-term T-cell reconstitution. 

Aberrant T-cell exhaustion in SCID survivors with poor T-cell reconstitution post transplant.

Tolerability and Efficacy of Facilitated-Subcutaneous Infusion of Immune Globulin (Human), 10% and Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase (IGHy) in a Subset of Study Patients With Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PIDD)

Jennifer M. Puck

Papers

Use of genome data in newborns as a starting point for life-long precision medicine.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases

Aberrant T-cell exhaustion in SCID survivors with poor T-cell reconstitution post transplant.

Tolerability and Efficacy of Facilitated-Subcutaneous Infusion of Immune Globulin (Human), 10% and Recombinant Human Hyaluronidase (IGHy) in a Subset of Study Patients With Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PIDD)

Prenatal Findings Leading to Early Diagnosis of X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (XIAP) Deficiency