Near-Patient Innate Immune System Monitoring: Prospects for In- and Out-of-Hospital Applicability

Abstract

The innate immune system forms the first line of defense against pathogens. A balanced immune response is crucial: both a hyperactive and hypoactive response leads to an inadequate immune response with an increased risk of complications. By studying the status of the innate immune system, we gain insight into whether it is balanced. This can then be applied clinically to identify high-risk patients. This thesis examines how automated flow cytometry can assist in measuring the status of the innate immune system. Automated flow cytometry has several advantages over traditional flow cytometry: it is easy to use, fast, and produces high-quality data. Additionally, an innovative mobile flow cytometry laboratory was used to enable reliable innate immune system monitoring outside of the hospital setting. In this thesis, automated flow cytometry is applied in research with healthy volunteers to better understand the innate immune response under various conditions. This technique is also applied in patients, where it can be used to identify infections in the emergency department. It also provides potential insights into optimizing the treatment of trauma patients. Moreover, automated flow cytometry has been used to investigate the possible role of the innate immune system in long-COVID. In conclusion, monitoring the innate immune system has significant value for diagnosing diseases, identifying at-risk patients, and increasing our understanding of disease development.