Adverse events of desirable gain in immunocompetence: the Immune Restoration Inflammatory Syndromes

Augmentation of inflammation may occur during immune reconstitution in a immunocompromised host. This phenomenon is able to cause atypical inflammatory disorders, synonymously summarized as ‘Immune Reconstitution Syndrome’, ‘Immune Restoration Disease’ and ‘Immune Restoration Inflammatory Syndrome’ (IRIS). Immune reconstitution occurs, if temporarily use of immunosuppressive agents was terminated or if highly active antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus positive individuals with secondary immunodeficiency was initiated. Unexpected deterioration of inflammatory disease and atypical clinical features, resembling symptoms of autoimmune disease may arise. They have to be distinguished from intercurrent infection and rheumatic disease, respectively. Treatment of IRIS would consist of both potential differential diagnoses: use of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs like in autoimmune disorders as well as antimicrobial chemotherapy to decrease the burden of pathogen like in infectious disease. Therefore, awareness for IRIS is of increasing importance from a clinical point of view. However, diagnostic criteria and standards of treatment still have to be defined.