In 2026, we are celebrating the British Society for Immunology’s journal, Clinical & Experimental Immunology’s 60th anniversary. The journal launched in 1966 and since then, has continued to thrive under the great guidance of its Editors-in-Chief and the Editorial Teams. The publishing world is very different to what it was in 1966 and yet the journal has always stood as a home for great clinical and translational research across the immunology community. In more recent years, we have developed dedicated sections within our scope so that key areas of research are more definitively represented, with dedicated Section Editors leading in their corresponding section. We are excited for the future of the journal and the great research to come.
While looking to the future is important and exciting, it is important to look at the excellent repertoire of research we have seen since the early days of the journal. We are incredibly proud to be a chosen home for some of the fantastic, field-altering articles that we’ve published. Below, we look at the top cited articles of all time from each decade of the journal. These are articles that have gone on to be cited by new articles, demonstrating their key role in influencing future research. We will also look at our top downloaded content, a range of interesting research that has excited our readership. Unfortunately, due to limitations with our ability to report on downloads on older content, our download data is limited to articles published from 2001 and downloaded within a shorter window between 2021 to now. However, we are sure you will agree that the highlighted articles showcase some of the very best articles that Clinical & Experimental Immunology has published.
Editor-in-Chief, Professor Claudia Mauri, said the following about the 60th anniversary and this great selection of articles:
'What a great achievement to be able to celebrate to celebrate 60 years of publishing of Clinical & Experimental Immunology. It is clear to see from the body of publications being celebrated in this issue that the journal has, since its launch, consistently published excellent articles that have helped to shape immunology research. I would like to sincerely thank all the authors that have chosen to publish in Clinical & Experimental Immunology. By choosing Clinical & Experimental Immunology, not only does their research get promoted in our excellent journal but they also benefit the immunology world further as profits from all the BSI journals are reinvested back into the immunology community. We hope that they will submit to us again so we can further showcase their research and of course, we hope that new authors will join them in our great journal.’
Top cited articles per decade since 1966
Below, we look at the three most cited articles per decade since the journal’s launch.
Top cited articles from 1966-1970
| Article | Number of citations to date |
Doniach D, Roitt IM, Walker JG, Sherlock S. Tissue antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis, active chronic (lupoid) hepatitis, cryptogenic cirrhosis and other liver diseases and their clinical implications. Clin Exp Immunol. 1966 Jul;1(3):237-62. PMID: 5330183; PMCID: PMC1579190.
| 445 |
Nilsson K, Bennich H, Johansson SG, Pontén J. Established immunoglobulin producing myeloma (IgE) and lymphoblastoid (IgG) cell lines from an IgE myeloma patient. Clin Exp Immunol. 1970 Oct;7(4):477-89. PMID: 4097745; PMCID: PMC1712861.
| 364 |
Winchester RJ, Agnello V, Kunkel HG. Gamma globulin complexes in synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Partial characterization and relationship to lowered complement levels. Clin Exp Immunol. 1970 May;6(5):689-706. PMID: 4097828; PMCID: PMC1712723.
| 327 |
Top cited articles from 1971-1980
| Article | Number of citations to date |
Janossy G, Greaves MF. Lymphocyte activation. I. Response of T and B lymphocytes to phytomitogens. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Oct;9(4):483-98. PMID: 4941661; PMCID: PMC1713004.
| 427 |
Besedovsky H, Sorkin E. Network of immune-neuroendocrine interactions. Clin Exp Immunol. 1977 Jan;27(1):1-12. PMID: 849642; PMCID: PMC1540898.
| 404 |
Turk JL, Poulter LW. Selective depletion of lymphoid tissue by cyclophosphamide. Clin Exp Immunol. 1972 Feb;10(2):285-96. PMID: 5046868; PMCID: PMC1713172.
| 359 |
Top cited articles from 1981-1990
| Article | Number of citations to date |
Harris EN, Gharavi AE, Patel SP, Hughes GR. Evaluation of the anti-cardiolipin antibody test: report of an international workshop held 4 April 1986. Clin Exp Immunol. 1987 Apr;68(1):215-22. PMID: 3652514; PMCID: PMC1542695.
| 703 |
Loizou S, McCrea JD, Rudge AC, Reynolds R, Boyle CC, Harris EN. Measurement of anti-cardiolipin antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): standardization and quantitation of results. Clin Exp Immunol. 1985 Dec;62(3):738-45. PMID: 4085154; PMCID: PMC1577485.
| 560 |
Benner R, Hijmans W, Haaijman JJ. The bone marrow: the major source of serum immunoglobulins, but still a neglected site of antibody formation. Clin Exp Immunol. 1981 Oct;46(1):1-8. PMID: 7039877; PMCID: PMC1536329.
| 337 |
Top cited articles from 1991-2000
| Article | Number of citations to date |
Y. Hasunuma, E. Matsuura, Z. Makita, T. Katahira, S. Nishi, T. Koike, Involvement of β2-glycoprotein I and anticardiolipin antibodies in oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein uptake by macrophages, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 107, Issue 3, March 1997, Pages 569–573, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2249.1997.00300.x
| 234 |
Duhem C, Dicato MA, Ries F. Side-effects of intravenous immune globulins. Clin Exp Immunol. 1994 Jul;97 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):79-83. PMID: 8033440; PMCID: PMC1550378.
| 193 |
Primary immunodeficiency diseases. Report of a WHO Scientific Group. Clin Exp Immunol. 1995 Jan;99 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):1-24. PMID: 7813117; PMCID: PMC1534127.
| 170 |
Top cited articles from 2001-2010
| Article | Number of citations to date |
C. K. Wong, C. W. K. Lam, A. K. L. Wu, W. K. Ip, N. L. S. Lee, I. H. S. Chan, L. C. W. Lit, D. S. C. Hui, M. H. M. Chan, S. S. C. Chung, J. J. Y. Sung, Plasma inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in severe acute respiratory syndrome, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 136, Issue 1, April 2004, Pages 95–103, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2004.02415.x
| 1139 |
L A Dieleman, M J H J Palmen, H Akol, E Bloemena, A S PEña, S G M Meuwissen, E P Van Rees, Chronic experimental colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) is characterized by Th1 and Th2 cytokines, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 114, Issue 3, December 1998, Pages 385–391, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00728.x
| 1015 |
H Okada, C Kuhn, H Feillet, J-F Bach, The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ for autoimmune and allergic diseases: an update, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 160, Issue 1, April 2010, Pages 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2010.04139.x
| 996 |
Top cited articles from 2011-2020
| Article | Number of citations to date |
H Harjunpää, C Guillerey, TIGIT as an emerging immune checkpoint, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 200, Issue 2, May 2020, Pages 108–119, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.13407
| 481 |
F De Luca, Y Shoenfeld, The microbiome in autoimmune diseases, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 195, Issue 1, January 2019, Pages 74–85, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.13158
| 449 |
R Lubbers, M F van Essen, C van Kooten, L A Trouw, Production of complement components by cells of the immune system, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 188, Issue 2, May 2017, Pages 183–194, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.12952
| 414 |
Top cited articles from 2021-2025
| Article | Number of citations to date |
P Chieosilapatham, C Kiatsurayanon, Y Umehara, J V Trujillo-Paez, G Peng, H Yue, L T H Nguyen, F Niyonsaba, Keratinocytes: innate immune cells in atopic dermatitis, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 204, Issue 3, June 2021, Pages 296–309, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.13575
| 171 |
Ffion Harris, Yoana Arroyo Berdugo, Timothy Tree, IL-2-based approaches to Treg enhancement, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 211, Issue 2, February 2023, Pages 149–163, https://doi.org/10.1093/cei/uxac105
| 99 |
S C Jordan, Innate and adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in humans: relevance to acquired immunity and vaccine responses, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 204, Issue 3, June 2021, Pages 310–320, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.13582
| 85 |
Top downloaded articles since 2001
Below, we look at our most downloaded articles since 2001 during the years 2021-2025.
Top downloaded articles from 2001-2010
| Article | Number of downloads to date |
J. E. Gudjonsson, A. Johnston, H. Sigmundsdottir, H. Valdimarsson, Immunopathogenic mechanisms in psoriasis, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 135, Issue 1, January 2004, Pages 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2004.02310.x
| 8213 |
H Okada, C Kuhn, H Feillet, J-F Bach, The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ for autoimmune and allergic diseases: an update, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 160, Issue 1, April 2010, Pages 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2010.04139.x
| 5164 |
L A Dieleman, M J H J Palmen, H Akol, E Bloemena, A S PEña, S G M Meuwissen, E P Van Rees, Chronic experimental colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) is characterized by Th1 and Th2 cytokines, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 114, Issue 3, December 1998, Pages 385–391, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00728.x
| 3136 |
Top downloaded articles from 2011-2020
| Article | Number of downloads to date |
Tregoning JS, Brown ES, Cheeseman HM, Flight KE, Higham SL, Lemm NM, Pierce BF, Stirling DC, Wang Z, Pollock KM. Vaccines for COVID-19. Clin Exp Immunol. 2020 Nov;202(2):162-192. doi: 10.1111/cei.13517. Epub 2020 Oct 18. PMID: 32935331; PMCID: PMC7597597.
| 13147 |
F De Luca, Y Shoenfeld, The microbiome in autoimmune diseases, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 195, Issue 1, January 2019, Pages 74–85, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.13158
| 9899 |
J P Sieb, Myasthenia gravis: an update for the clinician, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 175, Issue 3, March 2014, Pages 408–418, https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.12217
| 7362 |
Top downloaded articles from 2021-2025
| Article | Number of downloads to date |
Kavina Shah, Maria Leandro, Mark Cragg, Florian Kollert, Franz Schuler, Christian Klein, Venkat Reddy, Disrupting B and T-cell collaboration in autoimmune disease: T-cell engagers versus CAR T-cell therapy?, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 217, Issue 1, July 2024, Pages 15–30, https://doi.org/10.1093/cei/uxae031
| 15158 |
Walaa Abdelaty Shaheen, Mohammed Nabil Quraishi, Tariq H Iqbal, Gut microbiome and autoimmune disorders, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 209, Issue 2, August 2022, Pages 161–174, https://doi.org/10.1093/cei/uxac057
| 11272 |
Diana Papp, Tamas Korcsmaros, Isabelle Hautefort, Revolutionizing immune research with organoid-based co-culture and chip systems, Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Volume 218, Issue 1, October 2024, Pages 40–54, https://doi.org/10.1093/cei/uxae004
| 9546 |
The British Society for Immunology and the Editorial team of Clinical & Experimental Immunology would like to sincerely thank all our authors for choosing our journal as the home for their research. We’d also like to extend our thanks to our excellent reviewers who help us in peer reviewing this content so that it can go on to educate, influence and inspire the immunology community.