title: Medical immunology: two-way bridge connecting bench and bedside.
abstract: Medical immunology in The Netherlands is a laboratory specialism dealing with immunological analyses as well as pre- and post-analytical consultation to clinicians (clinical immunologists and other specialists) involved in patients with immune mediated diseases. The scope of medical immunology includes immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, allergy, transfusion and transplantation immunology, and lymphoproliferative disorders plus the monitoring of these patients. The training, professional criteria, quality control of procedures and laboratories is well organized. As examples of the bridge function of medical immunology between laboratory (bench) and patient (bedside) the contribution of medical immunologists to diagnosis and treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases (in particular: humoral immunodeficiencies) as well as autoantibodies (anti-citrullinated proteins in rheumatoid arthritis) are given.
authors.affiliation: Science Department, University College Roosevelt, PO Box 94, 4330 AB Middelburg, The Netherlands; Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Antonius Hospital, PO Box 2500, 3430 EM Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. Electronic address: g.rijkers@ucr.nl.
authors.forename: Ger T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Rijkers
authors.affiliation: Unit Cellular Diagnostics and Cell Therapy, Central Diagnostic Laboratory, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: jan.damoiseaux@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Jan G M C
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Damoiseaux
authors.affiliation: Unit Medical Immunology, Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.hooijkaas@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hooijkaas
mesh_terms: D000486:Allergy and Immunology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D009426:Netherlands; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D014181:Transplantation Immunology
keywords: X-linked agammaglobulinemia; anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide; immunodeficiency; laboratory medicine; medical immunology; rheumatoid arthritis