AIDS and the immune response

See also Clonal Selection Theory, Antibody Structure, Generation of Antibody Diversity, Antibody Diversity (from Chapter 25) T Cells and the Cellular Response, AIDS and the Immune Response... 

See also AIDS and the Immune Response, The Immune Response... 

An understanding of the respiratory tract and the immune response following nasal vaccination is necessary to understand how the antigen used in the vaccine interacts with the surfaces of the human body and how the different adjuvants may interact, modify, and aid in generating an immune response. The nose is a component of the upper respiratory tract, which is composed of the mouth, nasopharynx, and larynx. The nasal passages have an extensive surface area which is richly vascularized. 

A recent example of a CA model of the immune response in AIDS is Pandley s four-cell model using interactions among macrophages (= M) containing parts of the virus on their surface, helper T cells (= H), cytotoxic T cells (= C) and the virus (= V) ([pand89], [pandQl]) ... 

Newer uses have appeared in the treatment of viral diseases including AIDS, alteration of the immune response, and cancer. The lithium salt of 7-linolenic acid (LiGLA) has a significant anticancer effect against certain cancers. The neurochemical basis for lithium action is difficult to define. Lithium carbonate induces a wide range of intra- and extracellular changes—most emphasis has been naturally on the similarities with Na/K/Ca/Mg ions. Lithium selectively interferes with the inositol lipid cycle, representing a unified hypothesis of action. The biochemistry, distribution, and cellular localization of lithium has been extensively documented. 

The results by Hetrick et al.32 support the use of NO-release coatings for developing more tissue-compatible sensors. However, the impact of NO on the biocompatibility at a NO-releasing implant is a multifaceted question that is still not fully understood. Further study into the mechanisms by which NO decreases tissue encapsulation and chronic immune response while increasing angiogenesis will aid in optimization of the NO release properties (e.g., flux, concentration, and duration) of an implant coating for sensor applications. 

Its biodegradability and low toxicity in humans have aided the recent increased interest in chitosan as an immunopotentiating agent. In vivo studies have demonstrated that chitosan powder and solution formulations are able to enhance the systemic and mucosal immune responses after nasal vaccine delivery [19, 22, 76],... 

Not all T cells are cytotoxic. Helper T cells, a different class, stimulate the pro-liferation of specific B lymphocytes and cytotoxic T cells and thereby serve as partners in determining the immune responses that are produced. The importance of helper T cells is graphically revealed hy the devastation wrought hy AIDS, a condition that destroys these cells. 

The only contraindication to tetanus toxoid is a history of a severe allergic or neurological reaction after a previous dose. AIDS and HIV infections are not contraindications. Data on the immune response to tetanus in children with AIDS showed defective responses (18). 

When a foreign substance - a virus, a bacterium, or even a foreign protein-invades the tissues of a higher vertebrate (like a human), the organism defends itself by what is called the immune response. The immune response is a first line of defense against infection and probably against cancer cells as well. Crippling of the immune system by the HIV virus makes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) a disease that has so far proved to be almost invariably fatal. The immune response has two facets ... 

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