The Body's Defense at Work
The body's defense system(the immune system) has many decks, checks and balances. Too little of it and it will not perform the desired function and too much, it will destroy the body.
The first barrier to infection portal into the body is the keratin which covers the largest organ of the body, the skin; and the internal equivalent surface covering is protected by mucus alone or with cilia that keeps intruders at bay.Tears and saliva have their role to play. Epithelial cells serete an antibiotic called defensin which kills pathogens that attempt to break through this barrier. Of course, clot, following trauma, sequesters and prevents microbes from spreading in the body.
There are 10 times more microbes in our gut, respiratory tract, on our skin and the other orifices than are our own human cells. These attach to the their lining and prevent more virulent(disease-causing) counterparts from gaining foot-hole, multiplying and causing harm to our body cells.
Our body recognizes foreignness in these microbes(bearers of foreign proteins), can and do mount defense against them but this varies depending on whether the microbes cause disease(damage) or not. If the microbe provides nutrients as is often the case with most that inhabit the gut, then it is more likely that it has sufficient food and will not mount attack on the body cell. Most attack is a nutrient-seeking phenomenon.
These commensals(normal flora) will usually outgrow disease-causing microbes, although the latter too found their niche in the very environment and benefit from the nutrients supplied by human digestive products and friendly microbes(normal flora). If the destructive organisms should grow, they cause damage to body cells and this sends strong signals to white blood(defense) cells and the complement to attack. Inflammation, which is the body's response to injury, will bring in more blood and with it white blood cells which in their role to prepare the wound for healing, scavenge and eat up both devitalized tissue and microbes found therein.
Thus body damage is the best signal for defense action. The damage opens up the cell, exposes DNA which viruses also have, cysteine, serine, citrulline, some 'strange-looking'(modified) carbohydrate; considered in this case as foreign as they may scramble the host's cellular architecture, becoming harmful to the body while at the same time being deemed fit for consumption, after due processing. Bacteria usually carry on their membranes tissue-damaging molecules and this is the basis of immune response to them as our defense cells possess recognizing external and internal receptors that bind and mark them for destruction.
External recognition leads to phagocytosis(cell eating) of the microbe. But this recognition is short-range, meaning the microbe has to be in close proximity for this to happen. Damage inflicted on the human cell however produces long-distance chemical attractants(leukotrienes) that bring in our defense(white blood) cells. The complement protein products(C3a and C5a) also have this long-distance effect on attracting the defense cells.
In addition, blood vessels are dilated(stretched wide open) to allow these white blood cells to come to the site of infection. Histamine from mast cells(another type of white cell) and nerves, C5a from the complement, tumor necrotic factor(TNF) and interleukin secreted by a resident white cell type called the macrophage as well as prostaglandins from damaged cells help open up the blood vessels and home in white blood cells. Monocytes from blood may or may not convert further into macrophages. In either case, they eat up debris, dying cells and microbes. Neutrophils eat the more soluble, less innocuous debris and microbes.
Due to high metabolic activity generated by the various cells, heat is produced and TNF(possibly through prostaglandins) resets the body's thermostat at the hypothalamus to a higher level and raises the body temperature and this kills microbes.
TNF causes normal tissue cells to either grow(growth factor), to go through programed cell death(apoptosis). Damage to the normal cell is collateral. Oxygen free radicals produced by increased cellular activity cause further damage. Meanwhile some microbes that enter phagocytes, for some microbial adaptations reasons, do not get killed. While inside white cells, lipoproteins in the membrane of microbes trigger apoptosis, pyrotopsis and necroptosis which are less organized programmed cell deaths that cause the release of prostaglandins and leucotrienes prompting serious inflammation( blood fluid and cell infiltration). More severe damage from within causes frank necrosis that leads to more severe inflammation.
Phagocytosis is usually accompanied by type 1(Th 1) immunity in which fewer antibodies(IgM and IgG) are produced and microbes are principally extra-cellular i.e.outside white cells and available for phagocytosis. These antibodies neutralize the bacteria and make phacocytosis both safer and much more effective.
As infection proceeds more microbes enter the phagocytes, do not get to be killed. More antibodies are produced, usually the IGE type, that stimulate mast cells to secrete histamine. This is type 2(Th2) immunity. Most microbes have been modified by stressed imposed on them by the immune system to have thin cell wall and prefer to reside inside the body cells, at the same time devising strategies to escape or defy phagocytosis aided by the stress hormone, cortisol. These are persisting microbes, characteristic of chronic infections. A more effective strategy here is for the natural killer cell or the cytotoxic T-cell to launch cytokines that kill the infected white cell(and with it the enclosed microbe) from within, through the immunocompatibility complex recognition.
If they find themselves out of the cell, as in acute stress with increased cellular metabolism, they are usually present in clusters known as bio-film that further protects them from phagocytosis. The fewer white blood cell phagocytes present are basophils and eosinophils. This type of immunity is believed to have been developed to take care of chronic helminthes(worm) infestations and is characteristic of allergies like asthma. Histamine causes more mucin secretion and contracts the gut to expel helminthes and allergens, most of which have basic, positively charged proteins. Eosinophils readily attach to them and degraulate, and this will further help digest the targets.
Immune suppression(poor nutrition), chronic psychological stress which produces its hormone, cortisol, and severe infection(that leads to severe inflammation from lipoprotein-induced polyclonal antibodies, pain and psychological stress) wind up with type 2 immunity and in a carrier state. Intracellular microbes make cells not to program themselves to die by apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis or necrosis. Natural killer cells, marginal zone lymphocytes that produce polyclonal antibodies or cytotoxic T-cells become less effective.
Immune tolerance occurs centrally as T-lymphocyte clones for self-proteins are deleted. Peripherally, dendritc cells that present self-antigens kill lymphocyte clones for these. This way our body cells are saved from immune attack from our own white cells. Other factors that come play are high prevalence of the antigen that leads to the upregulation of the T-suppressor cell, and anergy with its requirement for co-stimulation of the white cell for immunity to occur. Normal flora(friendly bacteria) are tolerated this way.
The ways to boost the immune system are good nutrition with preferably non-oxidizing anti-oxidants, stress and pain management, aerobic and breathing exercises. Body garbage disposal and avoidance of toxicants are a prerequisite. Also cellular metabolic stimulants like vitamins B3, D3 and zinc are vital.
Balanced nutrition and exercise provide equal advantage to all body cells, preventing unhealthy competition that may lead to cancers and immune dysfunction. When growth in children is uniform there are no malformations and even when there is some genetic mutation to prevent genome stability(p53 and topoisomerases) other backup controls take over. Hence, telomeres grow alongside and insulin deficiency is mitigated. The effects of stress are watered down since psychological stress is a differential occurrence, an imbalance in body tissues function--another good reason for a whole-body exercise and yoga. Memory is improved; short-term with vibrational changes and long-term with structural growth in brain cells.
Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso, M.D.
The first barrier to infection portal into the body is the keratin which covers the largest organ of the body, the skin; and the internal equivalent surface covering is protected by mucus alone or with cilia that keeps intruders at bay.Tears and saliva have their role to play. Epithelial cells serete an antibiotic called defensin which kills pathogens that attempt to break through this barrier. Of course, clot, following trauma, sequesters and prevents microbes from spreading in the body.
There are 10 times more microbes in our gut, respiratory tract, on our skin and the other orifices than are our own human cells. These attach to the their lining and prevent more virulent(disease-causing) counterparts from gaining foot-hole, multiplying and causing harm to our body cells.
Our body recognizes foreignness in these microbes(bearers of foreign proteins), can and do mount defense against them but this varies depending on whether the microbes cause disease(damage) or not. If the microbe provides nutrients as is often the case with most that inhabit the gut, then it is more likely that it has sufficient food and will not mount attack on the body cell. Most attack is a nutrient-seeking phenomenon.
These commensals(normal flora) will usually outgrow disease-causing microbes, although the latter too found their niche in the very environment and benefit from the nutrients supplied by human digestive products and friendly microbes(normal flora). If the destructive organisms should grow, they cause damage to body cells and this sends strong signals to white blood(defense) cells and the complement to attack. Inflammation, which is the body's response to injury, will bring in more blood and with it white blood cells which in their role to prepare the wound for healing, scavenge and eat up both devitalized tissue and microbes found therein.
Thus body damage is the best signal for defense action. The damage opens up the cell, exposes DNA which viruses also have, cysteine, serine, citrulline, some 'strange-looking'(modified) carbohydrate; considered in this case as foreign as they may scramble the host's cellular architecture, becoming harmful to the body while at the same time being deemed fit for consumption, after due processing. Bacteria usually carry on their membranes tissue-damaging molecules and this is the basis of immune response to them as our defense cells possess recognizing external and internal receptors that bind and mark them for destruction.
External recognition leads to phagocytosis(cell eating) of the microbe. But this recognition is short-range, meaning the microbe has to be in close proximity for this to happen. Damage inflicted on the human cell however produces long-distance chemical attractants(leukotrienes) that bring in our defense(white blood) cells. The complement protein products(C3a and C5a) also have this long-distance effect on attracting the defense cells.
In addition, blood vessels are dilated(stretched wide open) to allow these white blood cells to come to the site of infection. Histamine from mast cells(another type of white cell) and nerves, C5a from the complement, tumor necrotic factor(TNF) and interleukin secreted by a resident white cell type called the macrophage as well as prostaglandins from damaged cells help open up the blood vessels and home in white blood cells. Monocytes from blood may or may not convert further into macrophages. In either case, they eat up debris, dying cells and microbes. Neutrophils eat the more soluble, less innocuous debris and microbes.
Due to high metabolic activity generated by the various cells, heat is produced and TNF(possibly through prostaglandins) resets the body's thermostat at the hypothalamus to a higher level and raises the body temperature and this kills microbes.
TNF causes normal tissue cells to either grow(growth factor), to go through programed cell death(apoptosis). Damage to the normal cell is collateral. Oxygen free radicals produced by increased cellular activity cause further damage. Meanwhile some microbes that enter phagocytes, for some microbial adaptations reasons, do not get killed. While inside white cells, lipoproteins in the membrane of microbes trigger apoptosis, pyrotopsis and necroptosis which are less organized programmed cell deaths that cause the release of prostaglandins and leucotrienes prompting serious inflammation( blood fluid and cell infiltration). More severe damage from within causes frank necrosis that leads to more severe inflammation.
Phagocytosis is usually accompanied by type 1(Th 1) immunity in which fewer antibodies(IgM and IgG) are produced and microbes are principally extra-cellular i.e.outside white cells and available for phagocytosis. These antibodies neutralize the bacteria and make phacocytosis both safer and much more effective.
As infection proceeds more microbes enter the phagocytes, do not get to be killed. More antibodies are produced, usually the IGE type, that stimulate mast cells to secrete histamine. This is type 2(Th2) immunity. Most microbes have been modified by stressed imposed on them by the immune system to have thin cell wall and prefer to reside inside the body cells, at the same time devising strategies to escape or defy phagocytosis aided by the stress hormone, cortisol. These are persisting microbes, characteristic of chronic infections. A more effective strategy here is for the natural killer cell or the cytotoxic T-cell to launch cytokines that kill the infected white cell(and with it the enclosed microbe) from within, through the immunocompatibility complex recognition.
If they find themselves out of the cell, as in acute stress with increased cellular metabolism, they are usually present in clusters known as bio-film that further protects them from phagocytosis. The fewer white blood cell phagocytes present are basophils and eosinophils. This type of immunity is believed to have been developed to take care of chronic helminthes(worm) infestations and is characteristic of allergies like asthma. Histamine causes more mucin secretion and contracts the gut to expel helminthes and allergens, most of which have basic, positively charged proteins. Eosinophils readily attach to them and degraulate, and this will further help digest the targets.
Immune suppression(poor nutrition), chronic psychological stress which produces its hormone, cortisol, and severe infection(that leads to severe inflammation from lipoprotein-induced polyclonal antibodies, pain and psychological stress) wind up with type 2 immunity and in a carrier state. Intracellular microbes make cells not to program themselves to die by apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis or necrosis. Natural killer cells, marginal zone lymphocytes that produce polyclonal antibodies or cytotoxic T-cells become less effective.
Immune tolerance occurs centrally as T-lymphocyte clones for self-proteins are deleted. Peripherally, dendritc cells that present self-antigens kill lymphocyte clones for these. This way our body cells are saved from immune attack from our own white cells. Other factors that come play are high prevalence of the antigen that leads to the upregulation of the T-suppressor cell, and anergy with its requirement for co-stimulation of the white cell for immunity to occur. Normal flora(friendly bacteria) are tolerated this way.
The ways to boost the immune system are good nutrition with preferably non-oxidizing anti-oxidants, stress and pain management, aerobic and breathing exercises. Body garbage disposal and avoidance of toxicants are a prerequisite. Also cellular metabolic stimulants like vitamins B3, D3 and zinc are vital.
Balanced nutrition and exercise provide equal advantage to all body cells, preventing unhealthy competition that may lead to cancers and immune dysfunction. When growth in children is uniform there are no malformations and even when there is some genetic mutation to prevent genome stability(p53 and topoisomerases) other backup controls take over. Hence, telomeres grow alongside and insulin deficiency is mitigated. The effects of stress are watered down since psychological stress is a differential occurrence, an imbalance in body tissues function--another good reason for a whole-body exercise and yoga. Memory is improved; short-term with vibrational changes and long-term with structural growth in brain cells.
Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso, M.D.
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