Pediatric Research Focuses on 'Interplay between Infection and Immunity'

Newswise — Recent years have yielded exciting advances in scientific understanding of human immune function, producing new insights into the delicate balance between infections and immunity. In their annual review issue for 2009, the editors of Pediatric Research present an update on important new research into immunity, inflammation, infections, and immunomodulation. The review is being published as a supplement to the May issue of the journal. Pediatric Research is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

The fifteen articles in the review issue, authored by experts in their respective fields, will serve to acquaint pediatricians with emerging scientific knowledge that will lead to new approaches to prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in children. Drs. Talal A. Chatila and Paul Krogstad of David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA are Guest Editors of the special issue. New Insights into Genetic Disorders, Immune Regulation, and MoreOne important advance has been the use of genome-wide scanning techniques to gain a deeper understanding of genetic disorders of immunity. Studies of single-gene disorders—in which a single defective gene disrupts normal immune function—lend new insights into how the immune system works. In some cases, deficiencies of one type of immune system cell make the patient vulnerable to infection with specific organisms. Genetic research has also advanced understanding of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.

Other avenues of research are revealing the unique nature of disease-causing bacteria and viruses. The review issue includes an update on the development of drug-resistant malaria and new data on the "molecular and clinical peculiarities" of infection with the widespread bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Another paper introduces pediatricians to two recently discovered viruses—bocavirus and metapneumovirus—now recognized as important causes of respiratory infections in children. Several papers touch on the complex interactions between infecting organisms and the immune system. One study describes genetic factors influencing the development and course of HIV infection in children; another reviews progress in identifying risk markers for infants with the potentially fatal infection necrotizing enterocolitis. Continued advances are essential for efforts to limit the impact of serious childhood infections worldwide.

Implications for Preventing Childhood InfectionsResearch in these and other areas may yield new approaches to prevention and treatment of childhood infections. Insights into immune system maturation from infancy through childhood may aid in developing more effective vaccines. A growing body of research points to the importance of vitamin D for preventing infections and maintaining health in children.

Each year, the articles selected for the Pediatric Research review issue provide pediatricians with a valuable update on scientific advances in a specific area that will affect their clinical practice in the years to come. Drs. Chatila and Krogstad hope this year's review issue will provide "a broad conceptual overview of the recent developments in our understanding of the interplay between infection and immunity, and the basis for well-know, but often poorly understood, immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, and inflammatory disorders." Free access to the review issue is available at the Pediatric Research website, www.pedresearch.org.

About Pediatric ResearchPediatric Research (http://www.pedresearch.org) presents the work of leading authorities in pediatric pulmonology, neonatology, cardiology, hematology, neurology, developmental biology, fetal physiology, endocrinology and metabolism, gastroenterology, and nutrition. Directed to research-oriented pediatricians and faculty, the journal publishes the results of significant clinical and laboratory studies. The Journal includes original peer-reviewed articles, abstracts of society meetings, state-of-the-art reviews, as well as supplements on pediatric health issues. It is the official publication of the American Pediatric Society, the European Society for Paediatric Research, and the Society for Pediatric Research.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

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