With the exception of complement protein C3, most soluble mediators of innate immunity are found in relatively small amounts in the serum under normal conditions. The concentrations of several of these proteins, however, can increase as much as 1000-fold during serious infections or other crises, as part of a coordinated protective reaction called the acute-phase response. In this response, the liver temporarily increases its synthesis of more than 30 different serum proteins, often called acute-phase proteins (Table bellow). Many of these, such as complement factors C3 and B, MBL, LBP, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid protein P, participate in antimicrobial defense. (more…)
Acute phase proteins are plasma proteins, the synthesis and the circulating concentrations of which are adaptively regulated in res ...
Most acute phase proteins are synthesized in the liver, although the genes for some are also expressed in cells and tissues els ...
There is considerable diversity among acute phase proteins with respect to the concentrations attained, their structures, and their ...
Acute phase proteins and the acute phase response in general arc stably conserved in evolution and are universal within each specie ...
An especially elaborate and important type of innate antimicrobial enzymes defense is provided by a group of serum proteins tha ...
The immune system consists of proteins, cells and organs that are concerned with defense of the individual, primarily against the threat of disease caused by infectious organisms. An infectious organism that causes disease is called a pathogen and the individual (person or animal) that is infected by a pathogen is called the host. Not all infectious organisms cause disease and some are actually beneficial, for example bacteria living in the gut help to digest certain foods. Infectious organisms that help the host are called commensalism organisms. (more…)
The final stage of the disease process (although it may not be the final stage of the infection) is the actual production of di ...
There are thousands of components to the immune system, and during the course of learning about some of these it can appear tha ...
Serodiagnosis of bacterial diseases is of value only in specific circumstances. IgG antibody is long-lived, and its presence, a ...
Routes by which infectious organisms gain entry into the body include the skin, respiratory tract, gastro-intestinal (GI) tract ...
Allergic Reactions For daily life, of course we need our immune system. Without having immune system, we could not survive ...
The Tcell Ig domain and mucin domain (TIM) proteins, the genes for which are located on chromosome 5q, have been suggested to be involved in allergic disease. This study examined allergies genetic association of sequence variants of the TIM1 and TIM3 genes in an African-American population. Case–control and family based association analyses were performed for three SNPs each in the TIM1 and TIM3 genes, and an insertion/deletion polymorphism in Tcell Ig domain and mucin domain 1. (more…)
A previous genome-wide screen for mite-sensitive atopic dermatitis asthma in Japanese families indicated linkage to chromosome 5q33 ...
Although ADAM33 was the first gene identified by positional cloning to underlie the risk factor of asthma, attempts to replicate th ...
CD14 is part of the receptor complex for endotoxin, which is a component of tobacco smoke. The CD14 gene is located on chromoso ...
Increasing evidence demonstrates that cytokines of Th1 and Th2 cells play important roles in allergic disorders. This study exa ...
The T-bet (T-box 21) gene (TBX21) encodes a transcription factor, T-box expressed in T cells, which has been implicated in asthma t ...
Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) is a major therapeutic target in a range of chronic inflammatory disorders involving neutrophils and its excess production is characterized by a Th1-type immune response. Asthma is regarded as a Th2-type disorder when associated with atopy, (more…)
Tumour Necrosis Factor is a pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of asthmatic airway inflammation, hyper-react ...
Roflumilast is an oral, once-daily inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) that prevents the breakdown of cyclic adenosine ...
IgE plays an important role in allergic asthma. Reducing IgE in the airway mucosa should reduce airway inflammation. Omalizumab has ...
Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic that possesses the ability to potently shorten eosinophil survival. This study assessed the sa ...
An emerging concept is that pro-inflammatory signals lead to loss of Regulatory T Cells (Treg) function. Pasare and Medzhitov ( ...
The molecular basis of Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is unknown and the diagnosis requires the exclusion of other diseases known to cause primary antibody deficiency syndromes, such as X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP). XLP is a rare primary immunodeficiency disease in which severe immune dysregulatory phenomena occur, typically after exposure to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). The defective gene in XLP is SAP (SLAM associated protein, where SLAM is signalling lymphocyte activation molecule), a small SH2 domain containing protein involved in signal transduction events downstream of the SLAM family of receptors. (more…)
Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most frequent primary immunodeficiency in man that requires medical intervention. Mo ...
Primary immunodeficiencies occur with a frequency approaching that of cystic fibrosis (1:2500 live births). However, because they a ...
Acute phase proteins and the acute phase response in general arc stably conserved in evolution and are universal within each specie ...
Most acute phase proteins are synthesized in the liver, although the genes for some are also expressed in cells and tissues els ...
The Tcell Ig domain and mucin domain (TIM) proteins, the genes for which are located on chromosome 5q, have been suggested to b ...
Being an immunological disease, the characteristics of allergy are those of specificity and memory. Regardless of whether the clinical manifestation is rhinoconjunctivitis, rhinitis, or asthma, the underlying immunological response disorder is based on the adverse reactions of cells in the immune system upon contact with allergens. These cells are specific for epitopes that are structural parts of allergens present in the allergenic source material. Two types of cells (i.e., T cells and B-cells) produce receptor molecules (i.e., T-cell receptors and immunoglobulin [IgE] antibodies) that, through high-affinity interactions with the allergen, efficiently catalyze the presence of even minute amounts of allergens into clinical symptoms, the extreme consequence of which may be life-threatening to the patient. (more…)
Allergen vaccines are complex mixtures of antigenic components produced by the extraction of naturally occurring source materia ...
The production of allergen vaccines imposes a number of constraints on both the selection of source materials and the physicoch ...
The quality of an allergen vaccine is a measure of the complexity of the composition, including the concentration of the variou ...
The potency of an allergen vaccine is the total allergen activity (that is, the sum of the contribution to allergenic activity from ...
Having determined an adequate potency and complexity in composition, an allergen vaccine may still be deficient in the content of m ...
Systemic allergic reactions are a relatively common clinical emergency. In their mildest form, they may just manifest as systemic cutaneous reactions with pruritis, allergy urticaria and angioedema. In more severe cases there are cardiorespiratory symptoms such as stridor, wheeze, difficulty in breathing or hypotension. Anaphylaxis has been defined as a ‘severe, life-threatening generalized or systemic hypersensitivity reaction’. The prevalence of systemic allergic reactions is unclear because of the lack of a clear, consistent definition and large prospective population studies. (more…)
Anaphylactic reactions to Hymenoptera venom are relatively uncommon but can be life-threatening: venom immunotherapy is the treatme ...
Definitions of anaphylaxis vary considerably, impeding the comparison of different clinical studies. Different definitions of a ...
It will be helpful for you to have some understanding of the terms that are currently being used by practitioners in the field ...
The safety of immunotherapy has been a constraint on this form of treatment for allergic disease. Although retrospective survey ...
Families frequently do not use their self-injectable adrenaline device, even when their kids is experiencing a potentially life ...
Families frequently do not use their self-injectable adrenaline device, even when their kids is experiencing a potentially life-threatening cardiorespiratory allergic reaction to a food allergen. Fatal food allergy anaphylaxis is rare but well recognized and the early use of intramuscular adrenaline may be life-saving. (more…)
Systemic allergic reactions are a relatively common clinical emergency. In their mildest form, they may just manifest as system ...
Definitions of anaphylaxis vary considerably, impeding the comparison of different clinical studies. Different definitions of a ...
No cure is available for food allergy and food-allergic patients and their families are therefore burdened with the need to con ...
Although most forms of allergy causes uncomfortable situations, an extreme allergic reaction to an allergen can eventually lead to ...
It is quite likely you've known someone with a severe allergy. From peanuts to gluten, such food allergies have grown to be much mo ...
Although most forms of allergy causes uncomfortable situations, an extreme allergic reaction to an allergen can eventually lead to death. Those who had this kind of allergic reaction that commonly suffers as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This kind of allergy symptoms need immediate treatment.
Please take note there is difference between anaphylactic and anaphylactic shock. (more…)
Egg allergy is likely more of interest to parents, parents who have children that must be vaccinated. This concern is because many ...
Definitions of anaphylaxis vary considerably, impeding the comparison of different clinical studies. Different definitions of a ...
Many people will tell you that they have a food allergy; in fact in today's society it is considered to be trendy, with celebri ...
Allergens are the trigger for human body allergic reaction. It is one of human immunological process to react for invader subst ...
Looking good can be hazardous to your health. There are certain cosmetic products such as makeup, skin cleansers, soap, moisturizer ...
The safety of immunotherapy has been a constraint on this form of treatment for allergic disease. Although retrospective survey studies of fatal reactions have been undertaken in North American practices, few European studies have been reported concerning fatal and non-fatal reactions to immunotherapy.
Allergy immunotherapy is stimulation of your immune system along with progressively growing dosages of the elements to that a person is allergic. (more…)
Allergen immunotherapy has proven to be effective in the management of allergic disease and is the only treatment that is able ...
Allergic rhinitis is a very common problem associated with poor quality of life, reductions in social and work activities and p ...
It is now almost a century since the pioneering work of Noon and Freeman was used to successfully treat hay fever symptoms usin ...
Allergen-specific immunotherapy aims to correct the underlying immune imbalance associated with specific immunotherapy allergic rhi ...
The increasing prevalence of allergic disease in the Western world has led to the concept of the ‘allergic march’ to describe t ...