Professor Reda Djidjik

Country: Algeria

Institution:University of Algiers / Beni Messous teaching hospital of Algiers

Research Areas: autoimmunity, immunogenetic, immunodeficiency, Immuno-allergology, immunochemistry, Histocompatibility, Immuno-Oncology, Immuno-pharmacology

Lab Website: N/A

Our laboratory of immunology is responsible for laboratory testing in several broad areas including the evaluation of autoimmune disease, immunodeficiencies, immunoproliferative disorders, and allergy, as well as having responsibility for some aspects of immune monitoring in transplantation of organ or haematopoietic cells.

In the evaluation of immunodeficiency: The laboratory tests used to evaluate immune disorders are used to identify antibody deficiencies, cellular (T-cell) defects, neutrophil disorders and complement deficiencies.

The standard screening tests for antibody deficiency starts with measurement of immunoglobulin levels in the blood serum. There are also tests for specific antibody production. Blood samples are obtained immediately prior to and approximately four weeks after the immunization to evaluate how well the patient forms specific antibodies.

Additional studies used to evaluate patients with antibody deficiencies include measuring the different types of lymphocytes in the blood by marking those cells with molecules that can identify the different types. A commonly used test is called flow cytometry. In addition, analysis of DNA can be used to confirm a particular diagnosis.

The continuation of this trend and laboratory testing of the future will likely be even more sophisticated and help provide further answers to the underlying basis of the expanding range of primary immunodeficiencies.