PRIME Immunology: Self-directed Introduction to Medical School Immunology.

Introduction: Medical students find immunology difficult to understand and relate to clinically and are often frustrated by the amount of detailed material. We created PRIME Immunology: Preview or Review of Important Material for Everyone: (i) video modules, (ii) Instagram site, and (iii) vocabulary files called Immunology Language.

Methods: The self-paced modules introduced key topics in immunology for students to complete prior to their instructional block.

CARD9-Dependent Neutrophil Recruitment Protects against Fungal Invasion of the Central Nervous System.

Candida is the most common human fungal pathogen and causes systemic infections that require neutrophils for effective host defense. Humans deficient in the C-type lectin pathway adaptor protein CARD9 develop spontaneous fungal disease that targets the central nervous system (CNS). However, how CARD9 promotes protective antifungal immunity in the CNS remains unclear.

Immunogenicity of pneumococcal vaccination in a patient with sickle hemoglobinopathy: a case report.

Despite decrease in morbidity and mortality from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), individuals with asplenia remain at risk for IPD compared to the general population. This report describes a young adult with hemoglobin SD and documented splenic autoinfarction with pneumococcal sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia within seven months of immunization with PPSV-23.

Chromobacterium violaceum necrotizing fasciitis: a case report and review of the literature.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe, rapidly progressive infection of the subcutaneous tissue that causes significant destruction. It is rarely encountered in the pediatric population. We describe the case of a 14-year-old boy who was diagnosed with Chromobacterium violaceum necrotizing fasciitis and subsequently found to have autosomal recessive chronic granulomatous disease.

Thymic carcinoma in a child with HIV infection.

HIV infection predisposes to cancer during childhood. In addition to the AIDS-defining non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Kaposi sarcoma, a range of other lymphoid malignancies and solid tumors have been described. We report the first case of an HIV-positive child with thymic carcinoma in the setting of regressing thymic cysts.