8/14/2019 Acute & Chr Onic

1/8

>

Immune modulation

>

Complementary therapies are often

employed to stimulate the immune

system and Dr Ginni Mansberg looks

at the evidence for some of the most

popular agents and practices.

Ginni Mansberg, BMed, is a medical journalist and practising GP

The Editor thanksJos Vlaun Andros Humphries, MD, PG

(Immunology), MSc Allergy Candidate, UK, Medical Director

of Optimum Health Clinic, Antigua, and Member, European

Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, for his

kind assistance in the peer review of this article

acute & chronic

16 Complementary Medicinemarch / april 2007

A summary of immune function

Innate (or natural) immunity refers to nonspecific defencemechanisms that constitute the first lines of defence. These includephysical barriers such as skin, the ciliary escalatory movement (e.g.respiratory mucosa) and inflammation, which is the response totissue injury and involves both cellular and humoral mediators.1

Adaptive (or acquired) immunity involves an antigen-specific immune response and can be passive or active, natural orartificial. Depending on the antigen and route of presentation,the response can be either cellular (e.g. cytotoxic T-cells), humoral(e.g. antibodies) or both.

Foreign molecules (antigens) are processed to induce aspecific immune response that takes days to develop. Proteinantigens can lead to different classes of specific antibodies or

immunoglobulins (e.g. IgM, IgA and IgG) with distinct rolesin defence e.g. toxin neutralisation, opsonisation and immunelysis. Certain complex antigens (e.g. viruses) can induce cytotoxiccells as well as antibodies. In contrast, the tuberculosis bacterium(lipoprotein complex) induces mainly cytotoxic cells withoutantibodies. Polysaccharide antigens (e.g. bacterial capsules) givemainly short-lived antibody responses (IgM).

During the induction of the primary response, a form of immunememory develops so that upon subsequent exposure to the sameantigen, a greater, more efficient and usually longer-term secondaryimmune response ensues in addition to some specific protection.1

8/14/2019 Acute & Chr Onic

2/8