Inflammation and the immune system

Chapter 30 Inflammation and the immune system



It is difficult to separate the immune system from the anti-inflammatory system; the two are interrelated and any defect in the immune system has far-reaching effects on a patient’s health.


To properly understand the immune system it is necessary to have a reasonable understanding of its working components. The explanation here is very simplified but is more than adequate for the scope of the book and for a basic understanding of the underlying principles of the complicated processes of the immune and anti-inflammatory systems.






Components of the Immune System





How Does the Immune System Work?


Pathogens that invade the body stimulate the immune system, which has three main stages of response:





The effector phase is one of the following:





Humoral Response


A humoral-mediated response (Figure 30.1):







Antibodies or immunoglobulins (hence the shorthand Ig) have two main functions:





There are five classes of antibody: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM.


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Jul 22, 2016 | Posted by in PHARMACY | Comments Off on Inflammation and the immune system

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