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Immunology-Auto Inflammation-Auto Immunity-Infection

Our immune system plays a central role in defending against pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, but also in the development and termination of inflammatory processes in the body. Malfunctions of the immune system can lead to diseases, the causes of which are often genetic. Disorders in the immune system can be associated with an increased susceptibility to infections or particularly severe infections. However, defects in the immune system can also cause inadequate inflammation or fever without an infection being present. Such autoinflammatory clinical pictures are often based on rare genetic defects of the innate immune system. Excessive reactions of the immune system to foreign antigens from the environment or to the body's own antigens can lead to autoimmune diseases or allergies. Clinically, fever and inflammation, e.g. of the skin, joints or kidneys, are often the main symptoms. The diagnosis and treatment should be in the hands of specialists who not only have clinical experience, but who also dedicate themselves to researching the causes of the disease and therapies and therefore have important insights into the latest scientific findings, therapeutic options and developments.

The cluster includes the Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, the Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology, the Nephrology Department of Medical Clinic and Polyclinic III, and the Department of Extracorporeal Procedures and Lipoprotein Apheresis of Medical Clinic and Polyclinic III.

In this cluster, our center works closely with the University Cystic Fibrosis Center (UMC) "Christiane Herzog". Further information can be found directly on the UMC website.

Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

Diseases

Autoinflammatory diseases:

  • Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF)
  • Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS – CINCA Syndrome, Muckle-Wells Syndrome, Familial Cold Urticaria)
  • TNF Receptor Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS)
  • Hyper IgD Syndrome (HIDS)
  • Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CNO, CRMO)
  • Chronic inflammatory bowel disease

Autoimmune diseases:

  • Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome
  • Chilblain lupus
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • celiac disease
  • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
  • juvenile dermatomyositis
  • scleroderma
  • mixed collagenosis
  • vasculitis

Congenital immunodeficiencies (according to IUIS classification 2019):

  • Defects in humoral and cellular immunity/ combined immunodeficiencies including abnormal TREC newborn screening (SCID)
  • Combined T and B cell immunodeficiencies with syndromic features
  • Immunoglobulin deficiency incl. CVID
  • Defects in phagocyte count and/or function e.g. Spetic granulomatosis
  • Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis/Hyper IgE syndrome
  • Diseases with bone marrow failure including severe neutropenia
  • Secondary immunodeficiencies

Serious bacterial and viral infectious diseases:

  • Invasive meningococcal or streptococcal infection
  • Congenital CMV, HSV or VZV infection
  • Congenital toxoplasmosis infection

Special consultation hours

Integration into existing research networks

Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology

Diseases

Autoimmune diseases:

  • Lupus erythematosus (cutaneous and systemic forms, chilblain lupus).
  • Duhring's disease
  • Blistering autoimmune diseases (bullous pemphigoid, pemphigoid gestationis, linear IgA dermatosis, scarring mucous membrane pemphigoid, pemphigus vulgaris, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita)
  • Scleroderma (systemic and circumscritic forms).

Inflammatory diseases:

  • Mastocytoses
  • Schnitzler syndrome
  • Angioedema
  • Urticaria

Hereditary structural defects of the skin:

  • Epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria

Genodermatoses:

  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Tuberous sclerosis
  • Incontinentia pigmenti
  • Hailey's disease Hailey
  • Dyskeratosis follicularis Darier

Special consultation hours

  • Special outpatient clinic for autoimmune dermatoses, hereditary epidermolyses (DER)
    PD Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Günther
    Further Information >>
  • Special outpatient clinic for mastocytosis, angioedema, urticarial syndromes (DER)
    Prof. Dr. med. Andrea Bauer
    Further Information >>
  • Interdisciplinary allergology/paediatric consultation (UAC)
    Prof. Dr. med. Andrea Bauer, Dr. med Susanne Abraham, Dr. med Katja Nemat
    Further Information >>
  • Laser consultation (DER)
    Dr. med. Roland Aschoff
    Further Information  >>

Integration into existing research networks::

  • Clinical Research Unit TRR237 "Intracellular nucleic acid sensing as a trigger of type I interferon-driven autoimmunity affecting muscle and skin".

Department of Nephrology, Medical Clinic and Polyclinic III

Diseases

  • Vasculitides with renal involvement
  • Anti-basement membrane glomerulonephritis and Goodpasture's syndrome
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus with renal involvement
  • Minimal change disease and primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
  • Membranous nephropathy
  • Thrombotic microangiopathies
    • Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
    • Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS)
    • Typical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (STEC-HUS)
  • C3 glomerulopathy
  • Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)
  • Cryoglobulinemia
  • AA and AL amyloidosis and other light chain diseases of the kidney

Special consultations hours

  • Nephrology outpatient clinic (MK III)
    Prof. Dr. med. Christian Hugo, Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Linkermann
    Further Information >> 







Department of Extracorporeal Procedures and Lipoprotein Apheresis, Medical Clinic and Polyclinic III

Extracorporeal therapy methods for autoimmune diseases:

  • Immunoadsorption procedures for the selective elimination of
    • antibodies (Ig, IgG, IgE)
    • immune complexes

Lipoprotein apheresis for the therapy of severe lipid metabolism disorders:

  • Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia
  • Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia
  • Hyperlipoprotein(a)emia

Central contact person:

Prof. Dr. med. Bernd Hohenstein
Further Information >>

Our centre also works closely with the University Cystic Fibrosis Centre (UMC) "Christiane Herzog" in this cluster. You can find more informations  directly on the UMC website.

Furthermore, Prof. Dr. med. Hohenstein (MK3) heads the registry for C3 glomerulopathy and immune complex-mediated MPGN. Further information on the registry can be found here.