In recent years, immunology has transformed from a narrow biological discipline into a developed area of modern medicine, which allows for accurate diagnostics and specific treatment of many diseases, including oncological pathologies, autoimmune (rheumatological) diseases, infectious and allergic lesions, and the main aspects in organ and tissue transplantation .

The practical application of knowledge in the field of immunology made it possible to create such a direction of modern medicine as clinical immunology. Specialists in this field from TAMC use their knowledge and practical experience in a wide variety of clinical situations:

autoimmune diseases treatment (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, etc.);
diagnostics and treatment of body allergic diseases (urticaria, bronchial asthma, allergic dermatitis, hay fever, etc.);
organs and tissues transplantation (transplantation of liver, kidneys, heart and lungs, cornea, skin, bone marrow);
immunoprophylaxis of infectious diseases (vaccination, ready-made immunoglobulins to prevent a particular infection);
planning and carrying a pregnancy with immunological factors of infertility;
treatment of oncological diseases (modern immunobiological drugs);
diagnostics and treatment of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.

Advances in clinical immunology in Israel make it possible not only to successfully treat a large number of diseases, but also to conduct high-quality and accurate diagnostics: using a set of special antibodies to identify infectious, allergic, autoimmune, oncological, cardiovascular and other diseases.

laboratory technician conducts testing in the laboratory . science and health.

Departments

Immunology Department of Tel Aviv Medical Clinic operates several separate clinics and departments:

Clinical immunology – specialists in this profile, as a rule, are involved in diagnostics and treatment of immunodeficiency conditions (congenital and acquired), true allergic diseases, and vaccination issues for children and adults.
Allergology – specialists in this field study, diagnose and treat allergic diseases and conditions.
Reproductive immunology is a narrow specialization that studies immunological factors of infertility, methods for diagnosing and overcoming them.
Clinical Immunology Laboratory – all necessary laboratory immunological tests are performed here.
Tissue histocompatibility clinic – specialists in this profile study tissue compatibility during transplantation, looking for modern ways to overcome incomplete compatibility and transplant rejection.

Department of Immunoprophylaxis – specialists in vaccination and emergency immunization work here.

What diseases does Immunology Department treat?

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Diagnostic methods in immunology

The set of diagnostic tests for patients in Immunology Department of TAMC can be very different, depending on diagnosis or other reason for seeking medical help.

As a rule, diagnostics takes place in 3 stages. On the first day, patient consults one of our immunologists. Specialist listens to complaints, systematizes them, collects anamnesis, conducts a detailed examination, and studies medical documentation, if provided by patient. After this, doctor makes up a plan for further examination.

The diagnostic stage lasts 2-3 days. All diagnostic procedures can be completed in clinic. What examinations can be prescribed for the patient:

Various blood tests (general, biochemical, immunological, immunogram determination, presence of a certain class of antibodies in blood, etc.).
Medical imaging techniques – CT, MRI, PET-CT, MSCT, digital radiography, ultrasound of internal organs and tissues.
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, fibrocolonoscopy, bronchoscopy, endoscopy of upper respiratory tract – endoscopic methods for studying gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract.
Computer spirometry is a functional study of external respiration parameters to diagnose of bronchial asthma.
Skin allergy tests – prick tests, scarification tests, patch tests.
Provocative allergic respiratory or food tests.
Mucous membranes of upper and lower respiratory tract biopsy.

The third stage of diagnostics is a second consultation with a specialist after additional examination program. Based on received information, immunologist makes an accurate and detailed diagnosis, makes up a treatment plan, and, if necessary, rehabilitation. After this, patient is referred for treatment to appropriate department of Tel Aviv Medical Clinic.

In Immunology Department of TAMC, patients have the opportunity to undergo allergy patch tests – these are comprehensive skin tests to identify the causative allergen. This is an application test (without punctures or scratches on skin) that allows us to identify the cause of contact dermatitis with almost 100% accuracy. Doctor, after consultation with patient, selects the necessary panel of patch tests (cosmetics, metals, household chemicals, etc.), sticks them on patient’s skin for 48 hours, and then evaluates test result.

Important!

Immunology Department of Tel Aviv Medical Clinic employs only the best specialists in this field, most of them are the authors of their own methods of immunological tests or methods of therapy.

Modern treatment methods in immunology

The main advantages of treatment at Immunology Department of TAMC:

Immunology Center, located within the walls of TAMC, is equipped with high-quality and modern laboratory equipment for effective immune diagnostics and immunotherapy.
We employ only highly qualified clinical immunologists. Doctors have rich and unique practical experience and regularly take part in research work in the field of immunology and allergology.
Comfortable conditions in clinic, friendly and caring medical staff, support on all medical issues, free interpreter services.

Immunologists-allergists at TAMC actively use modern and effective drugs for specific treatment of allergic reactions. An example would be drug Palforzia for treating peanut allergies. This remedy contains a very small amount of peanut protein and is taken by patient for a course of 6 months. After this, the number of severe allergic reactions to peanuts decreases significantly, and patient’s immune system “learns” not to react so violently to peanut protein.

The vaccine against house dust allergy (dust mites) Acarizax is a new achievement in the field of immunology and allergology, which is already successfully used to treat patients in TAMC. The drug is very convenient to use – these are tablets that patient takes daily for 3 years, after which his symptoms of allergy to house dust mites disappear forever.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) is a generally accepted modern method of effective treatment of allergic pathologies. Technique is based on introduction of an allergen determined at diagnostic stage into the body, starting with very small doses, gradually increasing it to a high one. Treatment is long-term – from 6 months. This procedure “teaches” the immune system to “tolerate” the presence of allergen without developing an allergic reaction. Over time, allergic reactions stop altogether. The entire time ASIT therapy lasts, our doctors are in touch with their patients, they adjust the dose and duration of treatment. If patient is unable to attend a face-to-face appointment, an online consultation is provided.

Important!

CAR-T therapy differs from typical biological drugs that are publicly available in that the drugs are manufactured individually for each patient, that is, we are talking about personalized oncology of future.

Immunotherapy is a particularly well-developed area of clinical immunology in Israel. The method is based on treatment of various diseases (autoimmune, immunodeficiency, allergic, oncological) with drugs that can inhibit, stimulate or modify immune reactions in body. For example, in oncology in recent years, immunobiological drugs have been increasingly and effectively used for treatment of malignant tumors – monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, interferons, targeted drugs.

Another example of immunotherapy for cancer is CAR-T cell therapy. This is an innovative method of biological treatment of certain blood cancer types, in which patient’s own white blood cells are genetically programmed to destroy malignant cells. Using high-tech equipment, leukocytes (white blood cells, which are an important component of immune system) are separated from other components of blood. In a specialized laboratory, the resulting white blood cells are genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface. At the next stage, they are multiplied (cloned) in laboratory conditions until the required number of modified cells is reached and returned to patient’s body. The return of CAR-T cells to patient’s systemic circulation is carried out by infusion. Now chimeric antigen receptors will help genetically modified cells bind to corresponding antigens of cancer cells, effectively track them and destroy them.

Immunotherapy with TIL cells is an innovative treatment for malignant tumors (melanoma, sarcoma). When standard treatment methods and protocols are ineffective in the fight against malignant neoplasms, the latest developments come to rescue, in particular, TIL cell immunotherapy – a progressive and promising treatment method with a high success rate.

TIL technology is as follows. After obtaining a sample of tumor tissue (after a biopsy or surgery of tumor removal), TIL cells are isolated from it (they are located inside the tumor because they migrate to tumor site to fight the cancer).

The next step is the activation of these cells and their reproduction in laboratory. TIL cells are then selected that have the most pronounced ability to destroy malignant elements. Selected cells are artificially multiply (cloned). The activated cells are then reintroduced into patient’s body by infusion.

This procedure is a breakthrough in the fight against cancer and is available only in a few medical centers in the world, in particular, in the leading medical centers of Israel (TAMC). Today, TIL is used in several types of cancer. The greatest success has been achieved in treatment of melanoma. In some patients, even with metastases, it is possible to achieve complete regression of the disease.

Immunology has also achieved some success in prevention of certain cancers. As is known, cervical cancer is most often caused by oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Invention and active introduction into practice of girls and women vaccinating against HPV makes it possible in future to reduce the incidence of this serious cancer. Today, several vaccines are used to prevent cervical cancer – Cervarix, Gardasil-4, Gardasil-9.

To treat immunodeficiencies, introduction of antibodies that a person lacks is used (immunoglobulins of various classes – A, G, etc.). In the most severe clinical situations, patient is recommended to undergo a bone marrow transplant.

If you or your close one has medical problems related to immunology, contact TAMC for help. Our specialists will help resolve all issues and prescribe only modern examination and effective treatment.