Analysis and blood test Immunology

Immunology generally explores the body's defenses against what is foreign to it (non-self) and tolerance towards its own constituents (self). It is a very vast field that we articulate around three divisions.

1- Allergology

Our bodies are in daily contact with food, respiratory or contact allergens which can potentially trigger very violent hypersensitivity reactions. Thanks to tests carried out on the serum of patients, the laboratory can identify the allergens (pollen, peanut for example) which are at the origin of these reactions.

2- Autoimmunity

It is an auto-aggression of our immune system against our own constituents. The incidence of these pathologies has greatly increased in recent years in Western countries.  : 10% of the population is concerned. Some of his illnesses are organ specific, such as Celiac disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Others are non-specific and are said to be systematic because they affect the whole body, such as connectivitis or vasculitis. Techniques such as immunofluorescence make it possible to highlight the existence of these dysfunctions and to ensure the monitoring of the treatments put in place.

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3 - Immune status

It is a question of knowing the state of the immune system at a given moment, a bit like an electrocardiogram for the heart. To do this, we use very sophisticated techniques such as flow cytometry, capillary electrophoresis or in vitro lymphocyte stimulation. Overall the immune system may be at fault  : it no longer protects us enough. On the contrary, it can function in excess, particularly in the case of monoclonal pathology. The biologist's comments are very important in this type of examination.