Chuang Gung Medical Foundation, Division of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology - UNREGISTERED VERSION

Primary Immunodeficiency Care And Research (PICAR) Institute

Wen-I Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

   
       “Primary Immunedeficiency Care and Research (PICAR) Institute” of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital is an organization by hot guardian physicians to care patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs). He majors in the diagnosis and to care PIDs patients. Until now, there are 216 or more kinds of PIDs, and 110 PIDs have been established by genetic analysis which contains X-linked, autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance. Since 2003, our institute and the cooperative physicians have disclosed 228 PIDs cases in Taiwan.

       In addition to those patients with hypogammaglobulinemia need regular IVIG infusion, those severe patients with Severe Combined ImmunoDeficiency (SCID), Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), and Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) were recognized by pre-natal genetic analysis and confirmed by postnatal evaluation. They succeed in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in infancy under prevention from infections.

        Moreover, those patients with defective interleukin 12/23 interferon-γ circuit often increase susceptibility to NonTuberculosis Mycobacterium infection (NTM), such as BCG strain vaccination infection (BCGitis). Till now, four children with defective 12/23 interferon-γ circuit suffered from recurrent mycobacterium and/or salmonella infections and recovered well under interferon-γ treatment if necessary.

        Our institute is recommended as a referred institute for PIDs diagnosis and treatment by the internationally renowned Jeffrey Modell Foundation. From hot specialists’ doctors, we made our cognate efforts and devote ourselves to help unfortunate PIDs patients and their families to overcome such suffering. We have established a comprehensive framework for a rapid assessment system including new life coming in pregnancy, prenatal screening, newborn re-evaluation, disease-course counseling, hospitalization, transplantation or not, and immune reconstitution after transplantation. And, we believe Taiwan's high-quality medical management could benefit more oversea children.