Information on the immune system
The immune system protects the body from potentially harmful substances by recognizing and responding to antigens. Antigens are molecules (usually proteins) on the surface of cells, viruses, fungi, or bacteria. Nonliving substances such as toxins, chemicals, drugs, and foreign particles (such as a splinter) can be antigens. The immune system recognizes and destroys substances that contain these antigens.
The immune system is there to keep you alive and healthy. The system can attack foreign invaders or it can go after cells created within your body that could endanger your life. Sometimes cancer cells are the targets of our immune system. As pathogens attack your body, the immune system initiates a series of immune defenses.
You know when your immune system is working by the symptoms you may have. Fever, swelling, and a runny nose are examples of symptoms during an immune response. Your immune system can respond to a problem in many ways. There would be a response to a knife wound, a separate response to hay fever and pollen, and a specific response to a cold.
progress
In 1994, Dr. Robert H. Keller founded the BIODORON Institute for Advanced Medicine, a state-of-the-art medical clinic specializing in cutting-edge treatments for anti-aging and immune system disorders.
After reviewing the subjects’ lab results for years, Dr. Keller noticed a trend. He kept seeing significantly low levels of uric acid in subjects with immune disorders. He decided to explore this finding, and his initial research concluded that uric acid is the last antioxidant available to the body when all normal antioxidants have been depleted.
Since Dr. Keller has always been a staunch supporter of nutrition, he turned to the literature for the answer to one question: If uric acid is the body’s last defense, what is the first? His research led him to discover a substance called glutathione. Which he makes one of the most amazing immune system supplements.
Innate immunity also comes in the form of a chemical protein, called innate humoral immunity. Examples include: the body’s complement system and substances called interferon and interleukin-1 (which causes fever).
If an antigen overcomes these barriers, it is attacked and destroyed by other parts of the immune system.
ACQUIRED IMMUNITY
Acquired immunity is immunity that develops with exposure to various antigens. Your immune system builds a defense that is specific to that antigen.
PASSIVE IMMUNITY
Passive immunity involves antibodies that are produced in a body that is not your own. Babies have passive immunity because they are born with antibodies that are transferred through the mother’s placenta. These antibodies disappear between 6 and 12 months of age.
Passive immunization involves the injection of antiserum, which contains antibodies made by another person or animal. It provides immediate protection against an antigen, but does not provide long-lasting protection. Gamma globulin (given for hepatitis exposure) and tetanus antitoxin are examples of passive immunization.
BLOOD COMPONENTS
The immune system includes certain types of white blood cells. It also includes chemicals and proteins in the blood, such as antibodies, complement proteins, and interferon. Some of these directly attack foreign substances in the body and others work together to help the cells of the immune system.
Lymphocytes are white blood cells, which include B cells and T cells.
* B cells produce antibodies. Antibodies attach to a specific antigen and make it easier for immune cells to destroy the antigen.
* T cells directly attack antigens and help control the immune response. They also release chemicals, known as interleukins, that control the entire immune response.
As lymphocytes develop, they normally learn to tell the difference between their own body tissues and substances not normally found in your body. Once B cells and T cells are formed, some of those cells will multiply and provide “memory” for the immune system. This allows the immune system to respond more quickly and efficiently the next time you are exposed to the same antigen and, in many cases, will prevent you from getting sick. For example, a person who has had chickenpox or been immunized against chickenpox is immune from getting chickenpox again.
INFLAMMATION
The inflammatory response (inflammation) occurs when tissues are injured by bacteria, trauma, toxins, heat, or any other cause. Damaged tissue releases chemicals including histamine, bradykinin, and serotonin. These chemicals cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, which causes swelling. This helps isolate the foreign substance from further contact with body tissues.
The chemicals also attract white blood cells called phagocytes that “eat” microorganisms and dead or damaged cells. This process is called phagocytosis. The phagocytes eventually die. Pus forms from a collection of dead tissue, dead bacteria, and dead and live phagocytes.
DISORDERS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ALLERGIES
Immune system disorders occur when the immune response is inappropriate, excessive, or absent. Allergies involve an immune response to a substance that, in most people, the body perceives as harmless.
