IRIS (Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome)

Hello Awesomites!

In terms of understanding immunity, HIV and leprosy never fails to fascinate me.There is whole spectrum of change in response of immune system.

So let us begin with the immune system which begins to recover. (Fall down 7 times get up 8!)

Immune reconstitution inflammatory response abbreviated as IRIS is a condition seen in some cases of AIDS or immunosuppression, in which the immune system begins to recover, but then responds to a previously acquired opportunistic infection with an overwhelming inflammatory response that paradoxically makes the symptoms of infection worse.

There are 2 presentations:-

1. Paradoxical IRIS: worsening of symptoms of a known disease during ART

2. Unmasking IRIS: present of an occult opportunistic infection, in which disease that was not clinically apparent prior to ART, manifests during ART

Proper history:

-Time course of symptoms

 -History of Opportunistic infection,

-Recently diagnosed Opportunistic infections

-Treatment of Opportunistic infection: date of initiation, adherence, duration and clinical response

 -ART initiation date,

- Specific antiretroviral regimen,

-medication adherence,

-Previous history of ART

 -CD4 cell count and HIV viral load before ART initiation

 -Current CD4 cell count and HIV viral load,

The risks of corticosteroid therapy should be weighed against the severity of the IRIS manifestations and the potential benefits.Risks of corticosteroid therapy include the following:

-Hyperglycemia.
-Hypertension.
-Mental status changes.
-Avascular necrosis.
-Worsening of an existing infection.
-Predisposition to a new infection.

It teaches me something about "Balance".
-Upasana Y. :)