Alone among herpesviruses, persistent Cytomegalovirus (CMV) markedly alters the numbers and proportions of peripheral immune cells in infected-vs-uninfected people. Because the rate of CMV... Show moreAlone among herpesviruses, persistent Cytomegalovirus (CMV) markedly alters the numbers and proportions of peripheral immune cells in infected-vs-uninfected people. Because the rate of CMV infection increases with age in most countries, it has been suggested that it drives or at least exacerbates "immunosenescence". This contention remains controversial and was the primary subject of the Third International Workshop on CMV & Immunosenescence which was held in Cordoba, Spain, 15-16th March, 2012. Discussions focused on several main themes including the effects of CMV on adaptive immunity and immunosenescence, characterization of CMV-specific T cells, impact of CMV infection and ageing on innate immunity, and finally, most important, the clinical implications of immunosenescence and CMV infection. Here we summarize the major findings of this workshop. Show less
Lem, R. van der; Wee, N.J.A. van der; Veen, T. van; Zitman, F.G. 2012
Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of T-cell and B-cell neoplasms that present in the skin without any evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis. In 1980... Show morePrimary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of T-cell and B-cell neoplasms that present in the skin without any evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis. In 1980 primary cutaneous lymphomas other than mycosis fungoides, Sezary syndrome and some related disorders, collectively termed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma had not yet been recognized. This historic review describes the history of cutaneous lymphoma research in Europe over the last thirty years. European collaborative studies by dermatologists and pathologists, often coordinated by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Cutaneous Lymphoma Group, resulted in the definition of new types of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) and cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL), and the development of consensus classifications for primary cutaneous lymphomas (EORTC classification; WHO-EORTC classification; WHO classification 2008), which resulted in better diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. More recent activities described herein are the development of guidelines for staging, treatment and the design of clinical trials, often in close collaboration with the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas, the formation of an EORTC CTCL trials platform and attempts to translate the results of molecular genetic studies into clinical practise. In this review the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and continued international collaboration not only in clinical trials and guideline development, but also in basic research is emphasized. Show less
