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Locations and phones

Call center 93 253 21 00

Monday to Sunday, from 8 am to 8:30 pm

Scheduling or change of appointment +34 93 253 21 00

Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 7 pm

Private Care - International Patients +34 93 600 97 83

Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 7 pm

SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital

Passeig Sant Joan de Déu, 2, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat

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Allergy test on a child in the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Service of the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona

Allergy and Clinical Immunology We diagnose and treat all types of allergies and primary and secondary immunodeficiencies. We offer comprehensive care to children and their families

In the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department and the Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiency Unit, we treat children from 0 to 18 years of age with all types of allergies and immunodeficiencies.

Accreditations

  • We have the European ERN RITA accreditation on primary immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases.
  • CSUR of the Ministry of Health for the treatment of primary immunodeficiencies.
  • Network of expert clinical units (XUEC, in its acronym in Catalan) in primary immunodeficiencies by the Catalan Health Service.
  • GA2LEN Anaphylaxis Centre of Reference and Excellence.

Why SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital?

Wide experience

In 2015, we carried out 10,500 visits; more than 42 visits per day.

More information
Benchmarks in Clinical Immunology and primary immunodeficiencies

We have one of the few specialised units in Paediatric Clinical Immunology in Spain.

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Personalized and comprehensive care for patients and families

We offer a multidisciplinary approach adapting treatment to the needs of patients and their families

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Our Outcomes

42

Daily visits

100

Treatments with oral immunotherapy per year

70
%

Cure rate after treatment with oral immunotherapy

2015 data

Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Team

"We treat allergic diseases and immunodeficiencies to get patients back to a normal life"

Allergy team

Montserrat Álvaro Lozano
Pediatra alergóloga
Olga Domínguez Sánchez
Paediatric allergist
Rosa Maria Jiménez Feijoo
Paediatric allergist
Adrianna Machinena Spera
Paediatric allergist
Silvia del Valle Fernández
Paediatric nurse

Patient stories

A new rare disease caused by a DOCK11 genetic mutation has been documented
"I was always tired, but we never imagined that it could be a disease"

Research

In the last 5 years, the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department of the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital has participated in numerous studies and research projects.

Global research projects

  • Clinical trials: more than 10 conducted. 
  • Publications: more than 30 publications in journals with impact factor.

All members of the team participate actively in different scientific societies, such as Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica, Alergología y Asma Pediátrica (Spanish Society of Paediatric Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Asthma - SEICAP), the EAACI (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology), of which Dr Montserrat Alvaro is the secretary of the Paediatric Board, and the ESID (European Society for Immunodeficiencies), of which Dr Laia Alsina participates in PID Care in Development (primary immunodeficiencies).

Research of the Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit

The research group, led by Laia Alsina, within the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (SJD Research Institute), focuses on primary/congenital immunodeficiencies and secondary immunodeficiencies, with the following main lines:

  • Primary immunodeficiencies of the Toll-IL-1 R pathway (susceptibility to pneumococcus and herpes encephalitis), and of the IL-12/IFN-γ pathway, which generate susceptibility to intracellular infections (mycobacteria, leishmaniasis, among others).
  • Primary immunodeficiencies with a predominant component of immune dysregulation (inflammation, lymphoproliferation, autoimmunity), such as common variable immune deficiency, with particular interest in the study of cells with a regulatory role (regulatory T and B cells) and the use of sirolimus in their treatment.
  • Immunodeficiencies secondary to the use of monoclonal antibodies, especially anti-TNF-a during pregnancy and B-cell depletion therapies.

The objective is to ascertain the bases of the immune dysfunction in the 3 different pathology groups, to identify biomarkers as well as new therapeutic targets. 

The research group led by Laia Alsina belongs to the group pre-consolidated by the AGAUR (Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca, Agency for Management of University and Research Grants) (GPRE 2017/SGR1547), called GEMDIP (Grup d’Estudi en Malalties per Disregulació Immune a Pediatria - Study Group on Immune Dysregulation Disorders in Paediatrics).

The different lines of research have been financed through competitive FIS (Health Research Fund) grants (2012, 2015, 2018); Eranet (2016); SEICAP Scholarship Award (2017); Leonardo Scholarships for Researchers and Cultural Creators from the BBVA Foundation (2018) and PERIS (Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation in Health) (2018).

Specific areas and recent publications by the group:

Primary immunodeficiencies 

Innate immunity: Toll-IL-1R pathway (MyD88/IRAK4 and TLR3 deficiencies, with susceptibility to pneumococcus and encephalitis due to herpes virus, respectively) and IL-12/IFN-gamma pathway (susceptibility to mycobacteria and other intracellular bacteria).

  • Nat Immunol. 2014; 15(12):1134-42.
  • Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci. 2018; 55(3):184-204. 
  • J Clin Immunol. 2018 Jul 23
  • Lancet Neurol. 2018; 17(9):760-772.

Immune dysregulation: common variable immune deficiency, regulatory B-cells and use of sirolimus/rapamycin in primary immunodeficiencies. 

  • Front Immunol. 2017; 8:201. 
  • Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Jul 19;19(7). 
  • Front Immunol. 2018; 9:636.
  • J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018 May 4
  • Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2018; 29(4):425-432.

Secondary immunodeficiencies

Treatment with monoclonal anti-TNFa during pregnancy.

  • Front Immunol. 2017; 8:1123.

Teaching

SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital is a university hospital affiliated with the Universitat de Barcelona, and so we share our knowledge and train professionals to specialise in high-complexity medicine.

The Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital is accredited by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) as a teaching unit in pediatric allergies.

We have been accredited by the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) to teach in the field of primary immunodeficiencies.

Specialist training for resident physicians and medical interns (MIR)

We train specialist paediatricians to work in hospital and non-hospital settings.

Master of Science in Paediatric Immunology and Allergy

Master's degree in the Paediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology specialty for paediatricians, by the Universitat de Barcelona.

  • Duration: 2 years
  • Director and Coordinator: Dr. Ana María Plaza Martín
  • Qualification: Master's Degree (awarded by the Universitat de Barcelona)
  • Accreditation: 124 ECTS credits