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Autoimmune Disease
Published in Gia Merlo, Kathy Berra, Lifestyle Nursing, 2023
Nanette Morales, Jessica Landry, Christy McDonald Lenahan, Janine Santora
An immune system that functions properly protects humans from invading hosts that cause disease or infection (Lerner et al., 2016). The immune system consists of proteins and cells that recognize invaders and implement an inflammatory response to destroy the invading pathogens. The immune system uses inflammation as a central component to eliminate pathogens and repair tissue (Kopp, 2019). Once activated, the immune system secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines, triggering the production of free radicals until the body is healed. The immune system recognizes pathogens as foreign due to a protein called human leukocyte antigen, which is present on the surface of every cell in the human body. A malfunctioning immune system will attack its own cells, leading to chronic inflammation, which leads to chronic disease.
HIV/AIDS
Published in Patricia G. Melloy, Viruses and Society, 2023
The human immunodeficiency virus first manifested itself in humans in the form of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The “acquired” part of the name indicates that the disease is not congenital, meaning not genetically inherited at birth. “Immunodeficiency” indicates that the major hallmark of the disease is a loss of function of the immune system, and finally “syndrome” is used to indicate a collection of symptoms that result from the immunodeficiency. HIV actually attacks a specific kind of cell in the immune system, known as T-helper or CD4 cells (Minkoff and Baker 2004; Zimmer 2011; Walker 2008a). In addition to the T-helper cells, macrophages and dendritic cells can also be affected (Cruse and Lewis 2009).
Autoimmune Diseases and a Multidisciplinary Approach to Cancer
Published in Mehwish Iqbal, Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
Autoimmunity is caused by the uneasiness and abnormality of the human immune system, which gives rise to pathologic and extreme responses from adaptive and innate immunity against organ-precise self-antigens, consequently ensuing in dysfunction and destruction of tissues by means of inducing injury and inflammation in the systems that are affected (Davidson & Diamond, 2001).
Allergen immunotherapy: progress and future outlook
Published in Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, 2023
Lara Šošić, Marta Paolucci, Stephan Flory, Fadi Jebbawi, Thomas M. Kündig, Pål Johansen
Allergies are a group of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to otherwise innocuous environmental compounds [1]. The allergens are mostly proteins and typically contained in various natural sources, such as plant pollen, animal dander, dust mites, foods, fungi, and insect venoms. Allergies can manifest with a wide range of symptoms in various organs, and the symptoms can be anything from just tedious or annoying to life-threatening. Accordingly, the type of treatment varies from case to case. A majority of all allergy patients are self-treated with symptom-relieving medicines, while allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only causative treatment option. This review will aim to give an overview of the state-of-the-art allergy management, including the use of new biologics and the application of biomarkers and a special emphasis and discussion on current research trends in the field of AIT.
Tertiary Lymphoid Structures, Immune Response, and Prognostic Relevance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Published in Cancer Investigation, 2023
Alexandra Giatromanolaki, Paschalis Chatzipantelis, Constantinos A. Contrafouris, Michael I. Koukourakis
The immune system is composed of many different tissues. The primary (or central) lymphoid organs, destined to generate lymphocytes from immature progenitor cells, are the thymus that is involved in T-cell lymphopoiesis, and the bone marrow that hosts both B-cell and T-cell precursors. Spleen and lymph nodes are secondary (peripheral) lymphoid organs, where B and T-cells are activated after being exposed to antigens, giving birth to mature immune cells that enter the bloodstream to reach the target tissues. During pathological processes, e.g., chronic inflammation or autoimmune conditions, the ‘tertiary lymphoid structures’ (TLS) appear. These are abnormal ‘lymph node-like’ structures that emerge within the affected organs/tissues and are characterized by active germinal centers surrounded by follicular dendritic cells (5). B-cell follicles, T-cell zones are often evident within TLS. Specialized vessels known as high endothelial venules (HEVs) are also present, but TLS do not have afferent lymphatic vessels (6). Within them, both B and T-cell responses can be developed, just like in lymph nodes.
Green synthesized gold nanoparticles from Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones show efficacy against hepatic carcinoma potentially through immunoregulation
Published in Drug Delivery, 2022
Junmo Zhu, Zijing Liu, Youwei Pu, Jie Xu, Sitong Zhang, Yixi Bao
The immune system is an important mechanism in defending the host against pathogenic infection, and consists of the different immune organs, immune cells and immune molecules. Immune organs, such as the spleen and thymus, the main sites of the immune response, carry out protective responses to ensure that the noxious stimuli are eliminated (Blackburn & Kellems, 2005; Li et al., 2017; Xu et al., 2020). In the current study, we found that PCSP and PCSP-AuNPs could notably enlarge the spleen and thymus index in comparison to the NS group, and the PCSP-AuNPs performed better (Figure 8A and B) (p < 0.05). Lymphocytes proliferate in response to the stimulation of the immune system and play an important role in the immune response (Kuang et al., 2016). As displayed in Figure 8C, PCSP and PCSP-AuNPs showed the ability to promote splenic lymphocyte proliferation and when the concentrations were 20 and 50 μg/mL, PCSP-AuNPs exhibited a prominently higher efficacy than PCSP.