Immune system overview

Chemokines are a family of small, structurally related molecules that play a fundamental role in the development, homeostasis, and function of the immune system (overview provided in Chap. 1). Four closely related subfamilies of chemokines have now been characterized (13,14). Of these, members of two subfamilies in particular have definitively been shown to participate in pulmonary antimicrobial host responses. The ELR+ CXC chemokine family members, which includes CXCLl-8 and CXCL15, have predominant neutrophil stimulatory and chemotactic activities, whereas the ELR CXC chemokines and CC chemokine family exerts predominant chemotactic and/or activating effects on macrophages, specific T cell populations, and/or eosinophils (14). Several lines of evidence would suggest that CXC and CC chemokines represent integral components of antimicrobial host defense. First, the well characterized in vitro and in vivo leuko-... 

Immune System Overview and Early Biologic Effects... 

Felsburg, P.J. Overview of immune system development in the dog Comparison with humans. Human Exper. Toxicol., 21(9-10), 487, 2002. 

OVERVIEW OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AS A SOURCE OF DRUG TARGETS... 

Overview of the Immune System The Humoral Response B Cells and T Cells Working Together... 

Hofmeyr SA. 1997. An overview of the immune system, http //www.cs.unm.edu/ immsec/html-imm/introduction.html. Retrieved 8/7/07. 

Immunotoxicology is the study of undesired effects resulting from the interactions of xenobiotics with the immune system (Figure 19.1). There is evidence that some xeno-biotics can cause immune suppression. Xenobiotics can also interact with the immune system to either cause or exacerbate allergic disease. Finally there is growing concern that xenobiotics could have some involvement in autoimmune disease. This chapter provides a brief overview of the immune system, chemicals associated with immune suppression and immune pathologies, and approaches to testing for these effects. 

The following list provides an overview of the variety of possible defense mechanisms of the immune system after an antigen-antibody reaction has taken place ... 

Abstract This chapter attempts to give an overview on the properties of the intestinal epithelium with regard to both, barriers to transcellular (transporter and efflux systems) and paracellular (tight junctional complex) drug absorption and transport systems and tight junction modulation. A short introduction into the relation between the innate immune system and modulation of paracellular permeability is equally given. 

Brandtzaeg, P. Overview of the mucosal immune system. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 146 (1989) 13-25. 

Leonen, W. A. M. (1998). Editorial overview GD27 and (TNFR) relatives in the immune system Their role in health and disease. Sem. Immunol. 10, 417-422. 

In this context, the main objective of this chapter will be to provide an overview to the shucture and organization of the nervous system that is relevant to the understanding of the unique interactions between the nervous and the immune system and to elucidate the pathogenesis of Alzheimer s disease (AD), Parkinson s disease (PD), HTV encephalitis (HIVE), and other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders (Ringheim and Conant, 2004 Gendelman, 2002 Ho etal., 2005). 

As indicated by this brief overview there is considerable evidence for a close relationship between changes in the immune system and depression, particularly MDD. Whether there is a clear cause and effect relationship between these is not known in most cases, although there are sdrong data in the case of IL-6 and IFN-a, as noted. It will be important to determine more clearly the exact relationship between depression and immune system alterations. There is also a need to determine which of the immune alterations that are found are clinically important (Irwin, 2001). 

This section is intended to provide a brief overview of some clinical issues that exemplify the basic aspects of immune system functioning discussed previously. 

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