Your Immune System
Antibodies, Immune Factors, White Blood Cells, and Immunity

Background:
Our physical and emotional health is governed by our immune
system. The immune system is a complex network of white
blood cells, immune factors, and antibodies that heal us when
we are hurt, and protect our bodies from cancers, and infection
by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other foreign agents.

In the healthy person there is a delicately balanced immune
system. Just the right amount of immune response is triggered
to repel an infection or heal a wound, and just enough of the
system is involved to stop a response. A properly balanced
immune response, does not "over respond" or "under respond."
When properly functioning the right number and types of white
blood cells and immune factors are involved to meet and resolve
the challenge.

Imbalances of our white blood cells and immune factors result in
immune disorders such as autoimmunity and allergies
(overactivity)
or susceptibility to infection and cancer (underactivity).

Immunity:
As long ago as the fifth century B. C., Greek doctors knew that
people who recovered from the plague would never get the disease
again. This is because they had acquired immunity against the
plague (NIH Publication 88-529). The white blood cells of the
immune system have "memory"; they "remember" having been
exposed previously to a specific organism. When becoming
re-infected they are ready ("immune") to releasing the right
sorts
of immune products to destroy the pathogen thereby preventing
re-infection of the body.

Self vs. Non-Self:
The key to a well-functioning immune system is its ability to
tell the difference between self and non-self. Virtually every
living organism and cell has a unique set of surface molecules
called antigens ("barcodes") that identify them. The "barcodes"
are recognized by our immune cells and helps them identify
a cell as self, or as non-self. Normally the body will not attack
its own cells ("self"), but is programmed to attack those with
"non-self" or foreign "barcodes" (antigens).

When the white cells of our immune system recognize these
non-self, foreign, "barcodes," they may trigger other types of
white blood cells to produce large proteins (antibodies) that
lock onto these antigens, to mark them for destruction. Other
cells will produce small bioactive molecules (immune cofactors)
that trigger other types of immune responses that will help heal
or defend the body.

Proper Function of the Immune System:
When balanced and stable, the immune system will destroy
non-self cells such as mutated cells that multiply causing
cancer, or foreign invaders (such as fungi, bacteria, and
parasites) that may lead to infection if left to grow to large
numbers. When it's working "right," the immune system
heals the body (wound healing), fights off infections,
and kills cancer cells.

Underactive Immune Responses:
An underactive immune system may be caused by one's
heredity, chemo or radiation therapy, excessive exercise,
aging, stress, etc. and may lead to being vulnerable to
many illnesses.

An underactive immune system, often leads to opportunistic
infections. These sorts of infections are caused by organisms
that do not bother us when we are healthy, but when our
"guard is down" (or if the immune system is not at its
appropriate level) cause severe infections.

Individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
are at risk for getting opportunistic infections. Their disease
is characterized by an immune disorder or a breakdown of
their immune system that leaves them susceptible to
parasitic, bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases. In a person
with a properly functioning immune system, these organisms
would be unlikely to cause disease.

People with cancers and other severe diseases may also
experience lowered immune responses as a result of
anticancer therapies. Also emotional stress, malnutrition,
surgery, and blood transfusions may result in depressed
or altered immune responses.

Overactive Immune Responses:
Overactive immune systems may lead to conditions such
as allergies or autoimmune conditions. Allergies are the
result of an "over reaction" of the immune system to
non-threatening substances such as pollen or animal dander.

Autoimmune responses are the result of overactivity of
immune components and occur when the immune system
confuses self with non-self and attacks its own tissues and
cells. Autoimmune conditions, such as arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, lupus, insulin-dependent diabetes, psoriasis
fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc., are
typically treated with drugs that suppress one's immune
response.

The Body's Defenses:
The natural defenses of the immune system consist of an
extremely elaborate and complex network of a trillions of
lymphocytes (white blood cells). Using small bioactive
molecules, these cells pass information back and forth
to each other like bees going out in search for pollen.
Just as bees in their colonies have different jobs, the white
blood cells in the body have their specific tasks and abilities.
"The result is a sensitive system of checks and balances
that produces an immune response that is prompt,
appropriate, effective, and [in a properly functioning
immune system] self-limiting" (NIH Publication 88-529).

The Organs of the Immune System:
Since the immune system influences almost every
physical and mental aspect of the body, it is not
surprising to find "pockets" of white blood cells
throughout the body. Tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen,
bone marrow, and thymus are some of the concentrations
of lymphocytes where cells grow and develop. It is
commonly not recognized, even among scientists and
clinicians, that the largest immunological organ of the
body is the intestine. One accumulation of cells,
embedded within the intestine wall, are called the
Peyer's patches.

White Blood Cells (Lyphocytes):
Lymphocytes recognize foreign invaders and coordinate
the natural defenses of the body. There are many different
types of lymphocytes, each group with its own function.
Some of these cells are:

* Regulatory T cells Control and coordinate white blood cell
traffic
* B cells Produce specific antibodies
* Killer Cells Kill cancer cells and those carrying viruses
* Macrophages Present "barcode" information (antigens) about
the invader so that other white blood cells can recognize
invaders.
Start immune responses. Scavenge dead organisms and cells.
* Phagocytes "PAC-Men"; gobble up infected cells
* Eosinophils Kill parasites
* Mast Cells Involved in allergies; releases chemicals that
trigger other cells

Many white blood cells recognize and react to specific antigens
("barcodes") which starts a specific immune response against
an individual class of invaders. Other types of cells respond in
a nonspecific manner killing any and all invaders.

T-Cells
T cells are involved in:
1) inflammatory reactions
2) increasing the numbers of cells for a strong defense of the
body
3) the destruction of cancer and infected cells.

T cells are one of the first immune cells to become aware of the
presence of foreign cells. When they notice an infection has
occurred, they release different classes of immune cofactors,
or biochemical signals, that activate B cells (to produce
antibodies) and other immune cells. By using these messages,
T cells recruit other cells and start an immune reaction.

Regulatory T cells defend the body by recruiting other cells.
These cells "talk" to one another with immune cofactors,
small bioactive signals that are produced by cells.

Regulatory T Cells:
The traffic cops of the immune system, these cells direct the
circulation of other immune cells that all together form the
immune network. They may call in reinforcements, or "tell"
cells to stop an immune response.

There are primarily two classes of regulatory T cells:
1) Helper cells - "turn-on" other cells like B cells,
other T cells, killer cells and macrophages.
2) Suppressor cells that "turn off" immune responses

B-Cells (Plasma cells):
Each B cell is a self-contained factory that manufactures
one specific type of antibody (immunoglobulin). These
antibodies, large proteins, are "smart" bullets designed
to identify invaders by the antigen or "bar-code" they carry.

Specific Antibodies:
Just as one key fits one lock, each antibody produced
can only "fit" (attach to) one specific "bar-code" (antigen)
on bacteria, virus, parasite, or cancer cell. A specific
antibody is directed against an individual antigen.

Cell Interactions:
Many cells are involved in triggering the B cell to produce
antibodies. Macrophages, using immune cofactors, "tell"
T cells about the architecture of the invaders. Then the
T cells release other factors that program the B cell to
"design" the right antibody for the job. Once the B cell
"knows" what sort of antibody it needs to produce, it will
manufacture millions of antibody-producing plasma cells,
each which manufactures millions of identical antibody
proteins directed against that one specific antigen.

Immune Cofactors (Bioactive Messages):
During the process of generating antibodies, the immune
cells of the body also produce different types of immune
cofactors. These biochemical messages, smaller in size
than antibodies, help direct the body's immune system
in its natural defenses.

Delicately Balanced Immune Systems:
A great deal of effort and energy goes on in the body to
maintain its exquisite balance of white blood cells and
immune factors. Too much activity may result in an
immune response that gets "carried away" (such as
an inflamed toe); a response that doesn't stop for days.
If however, the immune response ends too quickly,
then the infection may not be resolved completely or
healing may be incomplete.

One combination of immune factors may start an
immune response, and another combination of factors
may "down-regulate" an immune response, either
slowing or stopping it entirely. A balance of these is
absolutely necessary for an "appropriate" immune response.

The Balance between Foreign Cells and Our Own Cells:
The digestive system is the major entryway for bacteria
and other organisms to enter the body. More than 100
trillion bacteria are in our digestive systems at any one
time [Ann Rev Micro 31 1977]. The cells that make up
our body are heavily outnumbered by the bacteria and
other organisms in and on our bodies. (There are 10
foreign organisms for every one of our cells.)

Immunity and the Gut:
Since the body needs to defend itself against many of
these infectious agents, it is not surprising that about
25% of the intestine is involved in immunity. Additionally,
from 70%-80% of all antibody-producing cells are located
in our digestive system. These cells are so busy that at
any one time they make more antibodies than any other
cells in the body. [Immunobiology 184 1992].

Invasion of the Gut:
Let's say we've eaten a picnic sandwich that had sat too
long without refrigeration. If this meat had been
contaminated from the beginning with Salmonella, a type
of bacteria that causes problems in human guts, the warm
temperature would have encouraged rapid growth of the
numbers of the Salmonella organisms. Therefore we
might be eating a sandwich contaminated with millions
of bacteria. When large numbers of infectious organisms
enter the gut, a number of events occur:

-Specific antibodies continuously produced by the immune
cells in the gut in response to previous exposure, bind to the
bugs, stopping them from attaching to the gut where they
might start to multiply and cause illness.

-B cells, for example from the intestine's Peyer's patches,
will be stimulated by white blood cell immune factors to
produce new "lock and key" antibodies and mount a
specific immune defense against the bacteria.

-The specific antibodies lock onto the Salmonella marking
them for death by other immune cells and preventing their
attachment and replication in the gut.

-If the infection is overcome, suppressor cells will release
immune cofactors to stop other cells from being triggered
and the immune process will be "down regulated".

-Simultaneously with the antibody defense strategy,
the Salmonella may be targeted by phagocytes or other
white blood cells ,or killed with potent chemicals from
white blood cells. Different types of white blood cells
will be triggered by immune cofactors to try to physically
destroy and gobble up the Salmonella. They in turn will
release immune cofactor signals to recruit other cells.

Active vs. Passive Production of Antibodies:
There are two ways that we can obtain antibodies to
defend our bodies from harmful pathogens and cancer
cells. These are by: 1) active production (having our own
immune systems make antibody) and 2) getting
"ready-made" antibodies, from foods such as eggs
or milk, or as a pharmaceutical product.

Active Antibody Production:
Active antibody production is the result of our B cells
producing their own antibodies in response to an
infectious agent or its antigens.

Depending on where they are produced, antibodies may
be found in our gut or "floating around" in our blood stream.
Because antibodies are large molecules, antibodies
produced in the gut do not cross the digestive tract walls
and those found in the blood cannot get into our digestive
tracts. (Often the gut is referred to as being "outside" of
our bodies since food is digested and then the remainder
is excreted. That material that is excreted is always kept
"outside" of our inner bodies.)

Since we always consume food that is contaminated with
pathogens, and are exposed to organisms through the air
we breathe, we are actively producing our own antibodies
in response to foreign organisms.

Passive Immunity:
Passive immunity is the transfer of "ready-made" antibodies
produced in another person or animal, or obtained from food.
The recipient does not "make the antibodies". The individual
receives the benefit of protective antibodies without having
actively produced them.

There are two ways that antibodies are passively passed onto
an individual. These are by 1) injection into the blood stream
or body tissues and 2) orally consuming the product. (If an
antibody is able to be injected into the body, it is a drug
manufactured by a pharmaceutical company.)

When a mother nurses her offspring, she is passing on,
passively transferring, immunity. Her offspring will have this
"ready-made" immunity to protect itself from harmful
pathogens in the environment. [Since both the offspring
and the mother are both exposed to the same environmental
pathogens, mother's antibodies will be able to be used by
the offspring to help defend itself from infection and disease.]
Eventually the offspring's own immune system will mature to
the point that it can actively produce its own immunity, and
is no longer in need of the passively transferred antibody
from its mother.

Antibodies vs. Antibiotics:
When our body's immune cells recognize an invader, they
may produce antibodies that are biologically programmed
to defend against the harmful pathogen (bacteria, viruses,
fungi, molds, etc.). Each antibody neutralizes only one
specific bacteria, virus, or foreign cells. Each antibody is
"custom-designed" to attach to the appropriate pathogen.

Antibiotics, on the other hand, are drugs that are prescribed
to kill unfriendly bacteria. In some cases antibiotic drugs
may harm the body by killing our friendly bacteria, causing
harmful side effects. If the dose of antibiotic is not enough
to kill all the bacterial invaders, these bacteria can then
multiply, and often mutate to a more potent form of bacteria.
Often they become resistant to being killed by medication
and are termed antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic drugs kill only bacteria. Anti-virals kill viruses.
Antibodies attach to, and mark for death by white blood
cells, any pathogen against which they were "designed."

Inflammation:
In response to an infectious agent or tissue injury, an
immune response called inflammation will occur.
Inflammation is accompanied by a feeling of warmth in
the area, redness and swelling. Warmth and redness
occur when immune cofactors dilate blood vessels to
carry more blood and white blood cells. Swelling occurs
with the formation of "pus" which occurs when the immune
cells migrate into an area attracted by immune cofactors
released by other white blood cells.

Mechanism of Disease
[based on Andrew Luster, M. D., Ph. D.;
New England Journal of Medicine; 336: 436-445 1998]

Immune factors control the circulation and recruitment of
different types of white blood cells throughout the body.
They also control the type and length of time that an
immune response such as inflammation will last. Also
immune factors are involved in controlling white blood
cells in their defense of the body against infectious organisms.

"Overactivity" of the immune system over a long period
of time, may result in an inflammatory condition that
results in autoimmune disease. Similar types of white
blood cells and immune factors are involved in autoimmune,
inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis,
inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, lupus, multiple
sclerosis, etc. The inflammatory reaction occurs when
a particular ratio of immune cells and immune factors
exist. One category of white blood cell may increase
in numbers, while another another type of cell may
decrease.

The type of autoimmune disease one ends up with,
depends on the part of the body in which inflammation
is occurring. So for example, inflammation of: the joints
may result in arthritis; of the digestive tract, inflammatory
bowel disease; of nerve cell insulation (myelin sheath),
in multiple sclerosis.

The same sort of inflammatory response associated with
autoimmune diseases appears to be responsible for
atherosclerosis. In such cardiovascular diseases similar
categories of white blood cells and immune factors are
found as are seen in other inflammatory and autoimmune
conditions.

Stress, Emotional States, and the Immune System:
The immune system "talks" to our nervous and hormonal
systems and vice versa. All these systems are integrated
as one, and together govern our emotional as well as
physical feelings. Stress, dieting, joy, distress,
bereavement, fatigue-- all affect our immune systems.

As most of us know, hormones are intimately involved in
emotions. Certain glands in response to stress release
hormones into the blood. These hormones prepare the
body for "flight or fight" and in the process increase flow
of blood to the intestines, decrease antibody production,
and modify the numbers and types of white blood cells.

The change in immune cell populations is controlled by
immune cofactors that guide the traffic patterns and
activities of other white blood cells. Stress results in the
reduction of the activities and numbers of circulating
surveillance white blood cells. Stress also decreases
natural defenses resulting in less efficient and slower
healing, and a greater susceptibility to infection. It's not
surprising that constant stress depresses the immune
system resulting in serious health consequences.

Women who feel depressed and anxious are at greater
risk of developing high blood pressure as they age. Since
the immune system is linked to various hormones that
control blood pressure, it's not surprising that once again
the immune system, by way of immune cofactors controls
cardiovascular health.

Age and Immune Function:
With advancing age, autoimmune conditions and cancer
become more common. In some individuals white blood
cells are reduced in their numbers and their activity levels,
and their B cells produce antibody more slowly and at
lower levels. Thus, keeping the immune system young
would be ideal.

Summary
The immune network of cells defends the body from
cancer cells and foreign invaders, and helps the body
heal when it is hurt. Immune cells communicate with
each other, and recruit other white blood cells through
immune cofactors (bioactive messages). White blood
cells, with the aid of large molecules called antibodies:

* Attach to, and destroy or eliminate bacteria, viruses,
and cancer cells before they reproduce and create
harm in the body.
* Indirectly stimulate certain protector
cells into killing invaders.

CONCLUSION
The immune system is a complex network of white
blood cells and immune products that regulates our
physical and mental status. Balance is what it's all
about! An immune network with its well-balanced
components is essential to good health.