7.1: Diseases of the Immune System
An allergic reaction is an immune response to a type of antigen called an allergen . Allergens can be found in many different items, from peanuts and insect stings to latex and some drugs. Unlike other kinds of antigens, allergens are not necessarily associated with pathogenic microbes, and many allergens provoke no immune response at all in most people.
Allergic responses vary in severity. Some are mild and localized, like hay fever or hives, but others can result in systemic, life-threatening reactions. Anaphylaxis, for example, is a rapidly developing allergic reaction that can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure and severe swelling of the throat that may close off the airway.
Allergies are just one example of how the immune system—the system normally responsible for preventing disease—can actually cause or mediate disease symptoms. In this chapter, we will further explore allergies and other disorders of the immune system, including hypersensitivity reactions, autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection, and diseases associated with immunodeficiency.
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- 7.1.2: Autoimmune Disorders
- Autoimmune diseases result from a breakdown in immunological tolerance. The actual induction event(s) for autoimmune states are largely unknown. Some autoimmune diseases attack specific organs, whereas others are more systemic. Organ-specific autoimmune diseases include celiac disease, Graves disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, type I diabetes mellitus, and Addison disease.
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- 7.1.3: Organ Transplantation and Rejection
- Grafts and transplants can be classified as autografts, isografts, allografts, or xenografts based on the genetic differences between the donor’s and recipient’s tissues. Genetic differences, especially among the MHC (HLA) genes, will dictate the likelihood that rejection of the transplanted tissue will occur. Transplant recipients usually require immunosuppressive therapy to avoid rejection, even with good genetic matching.
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- 7.1.4: Immunodeficiency
- Primary immunodeficiencies are caused by genetic abnormalities; secondary immunodeficiencies are acquired through disease, diet, or environmental exposures. Primary immunodeficiencies may result from flaws in phagocyte killing of innate immunity, or impairment of T cells and B cells. Primary immunodeficiencies include chronic granulomatous disease, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, selective IgA deficiency, and severe combined immunodeficiency disease.
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- 7.1.5: Cancer Immunobiology and Immunotherapy
- When control of the cell cycle is lost, the affected cells rapidly divide and often lose the ability to differentiate into the cell type appropriate for their location in the body. In addition, they lose contact inhibition and can start to grow on top of each other. This can result in formation of a tumor. It is important to make a distinction here: The term “cancer” is used to describe the diseases resulting from loss of cell-cycle regulation and subsequent cell proliferation.
Thumbnail: Allergens in plant pollen, shown here in a colorized electron micrograph, may trigger allergic rhinitis or hay fever in sensitive individuals. (Public Domain/modified from original; Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility, Dartmouth College via Wikimedia Commons ).