Introduction from the Editors

Authors: Harold L Kim, Richard Warrington and Wade Watson

An introduction to immunology and immunopathology

In basic terms, the immune system has two lines of defense: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the first immunological, non-specific (antigen-independent) mechanism for fighting against ...

Authors: Richard Warrington, Wade Watson, Harold L Kim and Francesca Romana Antonetti

Asthma

Asthma is the most common respiratory disorder in Canada. Despite significant improvement in the diagnosis and management of this disorder, the majority of Canadians with asthma remain poorly controlled. In mo...

Authors: Harold Kim and Jorge Mazza

Allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is a common disorder that is strongly linked to asthma and conjunctivitis. It is usually a long-standing condition that often goes undetected in the primary-care setting. The classic symptoms...

Authors: Peter Small and Harold Kim

Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic skin disorder that can significantly impact the quality of life of affected individuals as well as their families. Although the pathogenesis of the disorder is not c...

Authors: Wade Watson and Sandeep Kapur

Allergen-specific immunotherapy

Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a potentially disease-modifying therapy that is effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, allergic asthma and stinging insect hypersensitivity. However...

Authors: William Moote and Harold Kim

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is an acute, potentially fatal systemic reaction with varied mechanisms and clinical presentations. Although prompt recognition and treatment of anaphylaxis are imperative, both patients and health...

Authors: Harold Kim and David Fischer

Food allergy

Food allergy is defined as an adverse immunologic response to a dietary protein. Food-related reactions are associated with a broad array of signs and symptoms that may involve many bodily systems including th...

Authors: Susan Waserman and Wade Watson

Eosinophilic esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an atopic condition of the esophagus that has become increasingly recognized over the last decade. Diagnosis of the disorder is dependent on the patient’s clinical manifestati...

Authors: Stuart Carr and Wade Watson

Urticaria and angioedema

Urticaria (hives) is a common disorder that often presents with angioedema (swelling that occurs beneath the skin). It is generally classified as acute, chronic or physical. Second-generation, non-sedating H1-...

Authors: Amin Kanani, Robert Schellenberg and Richard Warrington

Drug allergy

Drug allergy encompasses a spectrum of immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity reactions with varying mechanisms and clinical presentations. This type of adverse drug reaction (ADR) not only affects patient ...

Authors: Richard Warrington and Fanny Silviu-Dan

Primary immunodeficiency

Primary immunodeficiency disorder (PID) refers to a heterogeneous group of over 130 disorders that result from defects in immune system development and/or function. PIDs are broadly classified as disorders of ...

Authors: Christine McCusker and Richard Warrington