Aim: How can the immune system malfunction?

How can your immune system malfunction?

1. Allergies2. Autoimmune Disease3. HIV4. Organ Transplants

What is an allergy?

• An allergy is a rapid immune system reaction to normally harmless substances

• Can you think of materials that can cause allergic reactions?

What are things that cause allergies?

HOUSE DUST

BEE POLLEN

MOLD

RAGWEED

AllergensPEANUTS

LACTOSE

GLUTTEN

What happens during an Allergic reaction?

• The allergen will bind to receptors on WBC’s stimulating the production of histamines.

• Histamines are chemical that call trigger an inflammatory response

• May experience wheezing, hives, nausea, or shock

• What can we take for allergies?

ANTIHISTAMINES!

Autoimmune disease

•Disease characterized by a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself•The immune system may target the cells, tissues, and organs of a person's own body.

Examples of Autoimmune diseases

Diabetes is a disease, which prevents the body from properly using food energy.

In MS, the immune system attacks the protective coating around nerves, called myelin.

How can we contract HIV?

• Sexual intercourse

• Blood transfusion

• Passed through the placenta

• Open wound

• Sharing needles - drugs

What is HIV?

• It is a virus that attacks our immune system.

• How does our body know this is an enemy?

ANTIGEN

What part of our immune system does it attack?

White blood cells

HIV attacks special WBC’s called T Helper Cells

Do you die from HIV?• No, you don’t die from the HIV infection,

rather you die from the diseases/infections you get because your body can’t defend itself. (ex: pneumonia)

• These infections are called OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS.

Why are organ transplants difficult?

• The cells of the donated organ will display the donor’s protein ID tags on all of the cells

• What are these ID tags called?

ANTIGENS!

How will the recipient react?

• If a transplanted organ is recognized as foreign, it will be attacked by the immune system of the recipient

• This is calls REJECTION

How do doctors reduce the chance of rejection?

• Using donors with very similar antigens to the recipient

• Immunosuppressant Drugs

What is the risk of suppressingthe immune system?

It increases the patient’s risk foran infection.