Der Internist
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Malaria is the most important infectious disease imported by travelers and migrants from tropical and subtropical areas. It is imported quite frequently. It is a life-threatening disease. ⋯ Uncomplicated falciparum malaria should be treated in the hospital with either atovaquone-proguanil or with an artemisinin-based combination preparation. If there is evidence of severe malaria, the patient must be moved to an intensive care unit. The antiparasitic agent of choice is then artesunate.
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The one common factor in solid organ transplantation is the need for lifelong maintenance immunosuppression. Drug regimens after organ transplantation typically comprise a combination of different immunosuppressive drugs. In most cases a triple drug regimen with different mechanisms of action is used. ⋯ In each phase an individual combination of immunosuppressants is set up depending on the risk profile of the individual patient to prevent transplant rejection and organ loss. Based on these considerations, concepts of calcineurin inhibitor or steroid reduction have been established in transplant medicine in recent years. The key role in terms of development of new immunosuppressive strategies is taken by kidney transplantation, the most common solid organ transplantation performed.
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Sarcoidosis is a multifactorial and polygenic disorder. The current knowledge of its genetic basis will be presented and functional consequences of the genetic variants that influence the immunopathogenesis of this disorder will be depicted. In the near future it is expected that this knowledge will yield clinically applicable genetic risk profiles.