Immune system

Résumé fourni par la source

Introduces the roles of the immune system in maintaining health. Nonspecific defences, for example the skin and mucous membranes, are described. The contrasting actions of inflammation and the acute phase response are discussed. The initiation of complement and the amplification cascade of its protein activities in combating pathogens and parasites is are reviewed. The activities of specific immune defences are explored extensively. Attention is directed to the roles of humoral defences in attacking bacteria and multicellular parasites, and how cell-mediated immunity acts against viruses and intracellular bacterial pathogens. The roles of differing leukocytes and proteins of the immunoglobulin superfamily in these immune responses are discussed. It is emphasiszed throughout that both types of specific immunity are not mutually exclusive and are usually jointly activated by infectious agents. The crucial roles of signalling cytokines in allowing components of the immune system to communicate with each other and produce a coordinated response are emphasised. Examples of how the exquisite recognition molecular systems employed in immunological defence is are exploited in detecting and quantifying molecules of biomedical significance in clinical samples is are outlined throughout.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.