Immunology
Code
11155
Academic unit
NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
Department
MCM
Credits
4
Teacher in charge
Prof. Doutor António Sousa Guerreiro
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The aims of the education of the discipline of Immunology in the 3rd year of the medical curriculum, are:
- That students at the end of the semester have knowledge about the constitution of the Immune System and on the immune defense response mechanisms, as well as the mechanisms of modulation of the immune response.
- That students understand the dynamics of the knowledge contained in a science with rapid development that integrate in all other medical sciences.
- That students acquire competences for the study of Immunology in the Future for the comprehension of vast areas of immunological disorders, namely Immune Deficiences, Hypersensitivity Reactions, Autoimmunity, Lymphoproliferative Diseases, Tumoral Immunology and Transplantation Immunology.
Prerequisites
Subject matter
Theoretical Course:
- Introduction
- The Immune System. General concepts.
- Complement System
- Inate Immunity
- Antigens and Antibodies
- Cells of the Immune System and its identification by Flow Cytometry
- Maturation of B and T cells
- Major Complex of Histocompatibility
- Immune response mediated by T and B cells
- Regulation of the Immune Response
- Hipersensitivity Reactions
- Primary Immunodeficiencies
- Transplantation Immunology
- Immunohematology
- Lymphoproliferative diseases
- Tumoral Immunology
- Autoimmmunity
- Emergent Diseases
- Immunology of the Infectious Diseases
- HIV Infection
- Immunotherapy. Future Perspectives
Practical Course:
- Complementary Tools for Diagnosis in Immunology
- Clinical Cases
- Transplantation
- Hematopoietic Cells Immunophenotyping
- Autoimmunity
Bibliography
van Lochem EG et al. 2004. Immunophenotypic differentiation patterns of normal hematopoiesis in human bone marrow: Reference patterns for age-related changes and disease-induced shifts. Cytometry B Clin Cytom, 60B: 113. doi: 10.1002/cyto.b.20008
Vries E. 2012. Patient-centred screening for primary immunodeficiency, a multi-stage diagnostic protocol designed for non-immunologists: 2011 update. Clin Exp Immunol, 167(1):108-19. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2011.04461.x
Wood P et al. 2007. Recognition, clinical diagnosis and management of patients with primary antibody deficiencies: a systematic review. Clin Exp Immunol, 149:410-423. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2007.03432.x
Zhu J and Paul WE. 2008. CD4 T cells: fates, functions, and faults. Blood, 112:1557-1569. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-05-078154
(Regardless of other articles that may be suggested for certain content during classes).
Teaching method
The course is organized starting with two initial weeks of lectures on Basic Immunology and a further period of 12 weeks of theoretical and 6 weeks of theoretical-pratical classes. The theoretical lectures will be given using informatics tools, and will take place at Edifício Sede FCM.
The practical classes will be given using audiovisual means, with exemplification of laboratory techniques and eventually some hands on procedures. These classes will take place at the Teaching Laboratory of Immunology/Microbiology.
It is mandatory the presence of at least 2/3 of the classes of the practical course. All students exceeding 1/3 of the allowed absences will automatically fail the curricular unit. This rule does not apply to students with special status (eg status of worker-student).
At the end of the course a written exam will be performed.
Evaluation method
The final evaluation will be performed by a written test constituted by 80 questions of multiple choice, with five options for each question. In each question there will be only one correct option, and each one will have a score of 0,25 values. The test will have the duration of 90 minutes, and only answers signed on the answers grid using pen will be considered for correction. The test will contain questions including all topics that were taught in both theoretical and practical courses.
Students will only be approved if they have achieved a classification of 9,5. The tests may be consulted by interested students, after a previous inscription in the morning after the written examination.
Students whose classification may have raised doubts to the professors during the written test will be asked to perform an oral examination, and these students will be informed on this decision within the execution of the written test and by the publication of the agenda with the classifications. Approved students may also present themselves to the oral examination in case they do not accept their classification in the written test. In this case, the classification obtained in the written test will be automatically eliminated, and the final classification will be obtained only in the oral examination, determining either the final reprobation of the student or the approbation, which can be classified within the range of 10 to 20 values.
All students who do not pass during the regular season, or who wish to apply for grade improvement at a later season, will carry out a final examination, covering all matter taught, and the final score will be the classification obtained in this exam, as the the classification obtained in any of the tests previously performed will be lost.
Examination dates:
1st Semester:
1st Season 19th January 2015 (written)
2nd Season 9th February 2015 (oral)
2nd Semester:
1st Season 22nd June 2015 (written)
2nd Season 13th July 2015 (oral)
Final appeal season: 21st July 2015 (oral)
In the final appeal season, the evaluation will only be performed by oral examination.