What is immunology

An allergist/immunologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating and managing allergies, asthma, and other immune system disorders. An allergist/immunologist treats conditions involving the immune system. Common conditions that affect the immune system include the following: • Seasonal allergies — sometimes called allergic rhinitis — affect • The • The World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that about In this article, we discuss what allergist/immunologists do, the types of conditions that they treat, and how they differ from rheumatologists. Share on Pinterest Allergist/immunologists may help treat allergic rhinitis, asthma, and urticaria. An allergist/immunologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing health conditions that affect the immune system. People with allergies often work with these healthcare professionals. Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a usually harmless substance, such as pet dander, insect stings, or specific proteins in food. Allergist/immunologists may help treat the following immune-related conditions: • Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction that causes inflammation in the nose and airways. • Allergic conjunctivitis causes inflammation around the eyes when the person comes into contact with an allergen. • Anaphylaxis refers to a severe, life threatening allergic reaction that can make breathing difficult or impossible and may cause low blood pressure and vomiting. • Asthma is a chr...

Diagnosis Your doctor will ask about your history of illnesses and whether any close relatives have an inherited immune system disorder. Your doctor will also perform a physical examination. Tests used to diagnose an immune disorder include: • Blood tests. Blood tests can determine if you have typical levels of infection-fighting proteins (immunoglobulins) in your blood and measure the levels of blood cells and immune system cells. Having numbers of certain cells in your blood that are outside of the standard range can indicate an immune system defect. Blood tests can also determine if your immune system is responding properly and producing proteins that identify and kill foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses (antibodies). • Prenatal testing. Parents who have a child with a primary immunodeficiency disorder might want to be tested for certain immunodeficiency disorders during future pregnancies. Samples of the amniotic fluid, blood or cells from the tissue that will become the placenta (chorion) are tested for problems. In some cases, DNA testing is done to check for a genetic defect. Test results make it possible to prepare for treatment soon after birth, if necessary. Treatment Treatments for primary immunodeficiency involve preventing and treating infections, boosting the immune system, and treating the underlying cause of the immune problem. In some cases, primary immune disorders are linked to a serious illness, such as an autoimmune disorder or cancer, which a...

Immunology in health and disease The Department of Immunology at Mayo Clinic is an academic department focused on understanding fundamental aspects of immunology in human health and disease. Overview The Department of Immunology at Mayo Clinic, the oldest free-standing immunology department in the country, is the academic home for basic and translational scientists studying the immune system in health and disease. As scientists, department members have a common understanding and passion for advancing knowledge of fundamental mechanisms that cause and regulate inflammation and immune responsiveness. The Department of Immunology faculty is located at Advancing immunology research to improve patient care Faculty members in the Department of Immunology study a wide spectrum of diseases interrelated by the molecular, cellular and genetic regulatory mechanisms that dictate the immune responses associated with them. The department nurtures a highly interactive approach to basic science that creates knowledge and fosters discovery of new treatments and diagnostic tests for patients with disease-specific problems, such as: • Allergies • Autoimmune diseases • Cancer • Chronic inflammation • Infections • Tissue transplantation Two institutional core research resources, the Antibody Hybridoma Core and the Immune Monitoring Core, are directed by faculty members in the Department of Immunology. Learn more about the department's Integrated research and education Research in the Departmen...

Introduction Immunology has its origins in the study of how the body protects itself against infectious diseases caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi, and also parasitic organisms, such as helminth worms. Important initial barriers to infection are physical (e.g. the skin), enhanced by substances secreted by the body, such as saliva and tears, that contain molecules that can neutralise bacteria. The internal mucosal tissues (e.g. lungs & airways, and the gut) are coated with mucus that is able to trap potential infectants. In the airways, mobile ciliate hairs work together to transport contaminants away from vulnerable areas. Tissues such as the skin, mucosal surfaces and airways also contain populations of immune cells that can respond to infectants that breach these physical defences. In its most complex forms, the immune system consists of two branches: the innate immune system that utilises certain ‘hard-wired’ strategies to provide a rapid, general, response when alerted by certain typical signals of infection (essentially forming a first-line of defence); and the adaptive immune system that is able to develop highly specific responses (and a persistent ‘immune memory’) to target infection with extraordinary accuracy. Both systems work in close cooperation and, to an important extent, the adaptive immune system relies upon the innate immune system to alert it to potential targets, and shape its response to them. Immune tissues All i...

immunologic blood test, any of a group of The inability of the body to produce certain classes of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE) can lead to disease. Complexes formed by the antigen-antibody reaction can be deposited in almost any tissue and can lead to malfunction of that organ. Immunofluorescence assays to detect antinuclear antibodies (antibodies that will bind to antigens within the

Immunology is the study of the human body’s built-in defense mechanisms against invasion by microorganisms, which collectively form the immune system. The immune system is made up of organs, cells, and molecules that protect the body from foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause infection and disease. When the immune system is defective, it can fail to protect against even minor infections, or result in attacking the body’s own healthy tissue, and prove fatal. The immune system can also over-react to harmless environmental compounds leading to hypersensitivity. Carter Immunology Center (CIC) investigators conduct cutting-edge research to better understand how the immune system functions to protect against infection and cancer, and how dysfunction of the immune system leads to chronic inflammatory diseases including asthma, allergy, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular disease. Our investigators use a variety of animal and human model systems to answer fundamental questions in immunology: • What processes control the development and function of the innate and adaptive immune response? • What signals are activated in the immune system by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and tumors? How do these signals determine the quality and function of the immune response? • Why is the immune system unable to control certain pathogens and tumors? What can we do to augment immune control? • How does the immune system maintain tolerance to the body’s own tissue to prev...

Immunology Table of Contents • • • • • • • • Immunology Definition “The study of the immune system, the cell-mediated and humoral aspects of immunity and immune responses.” Immunology is a branch of biology involved with the study of the immune system, components of the immune system, its biological processes, the physiological functioning of the immune system, types, its disorders and a lot more. The immune system acts as a body’s defence system by protecting our body cells, tissues and organs from invading infections through various lines of defence. Overall, the immune system functions by recognising and destroying foreign antigens including Under certain conditions, when our immune system is weak or stops functioning, this results in various infectious diseases, such as fever and flu, and may also lead to dreadful diseases like cancer AIDS, etc. Also Read: Let us have a detailed look at Immunology to learn about the immune system, its different parts, functions and other significance of Immunology. Immune System Immune system consists of different types of cells and organs which protect our body against pathogens. Pathogens are defined as microorganisms that cause infections in the body such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoans. Antigens are molecules that elicit antibody generation. They can be everything that does not belong to our body, from parasites to fungi, bacteria, viruses, and haptens. Haptens are molecules that can elicit an immune response when comb...

immunologic blood test, any of a group of The inability of the body to produce certain classes of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE) can lead to disease. Complexes formed by the antigen-antibody reaction can be deposited in almost any tissue and can lead to malfunction of that organ. Immunofluorescence assays to detect antinuclear antibodies (antibodies that will bind to antigens within the

Introduction Immunology has its origins in the study of how the body protects itself against infectious diseases caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi, and also parasitic organisms, such as helminth worms. Important initial barriers to infection are physical (e.g. the skin), enhanced by substances secreted by the body, such as saliva and tears, that contain molecules that can neutralise bacteria. The internal mucosal tissues (e.g. lungs & airways, and the gut) are coated with mucus that is able to trap potential infectants. In the airways, mobile ciliate hairs work together to transport contaminants away from vulnerable areas. Tissues such as the skin, mucosal surfaces and airways also contain populations of immune cells that can respond to infectants that breach these physical defences. In its most complex forms, the immune system consists of two branches: the innate immune system that utilises certain ‘hard-wired’ strategies to provide a rapid, general, response when alerted by certain typical signals of infection (essentially forming a first-line of defence); and the adaptive immune system that is able to develop highly specific responses (and a persistent ‘immune memory’) to target infection with extraordinary accuracy. Both systems work in close cooperation and, to an important extent, the adaptive immune system relies upon the innate immune system to alert it to potential targets, and shape its response to them. Immune tissues All i...

Immunology is the study of the human body’s built-in defense mechanisms against invasion by microorganisms, which collectively form the immune system. The immune system is made up of organs, cells, and molecules that protect the body from foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause infection and disease. When the immune system is defective, it can fail to protect against even minor infections, or result in attacking the body’s own healthy tissue, and prove fatal. The immune system can also over-react to harmless environmental compounds leading to hypersensitivity. Carter Immunology Center (CIC) investigators conduct cutting-edge research to better understand how the immune system functions to protect against infection and cancer, and how dysfunction of the immune system leads to chronic inflammatory diseases including asthma, allergy, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular disease. Our investigators use a variety of animal and human model systems to answer fundamental questions in immunology: • What processes control the development and function of the innate and adaptive immune response? • What signals are activated in the immune system by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and tumors? How do these signals determine the quality and function of the immune response? • Why is the immune system unable to control certain pathogens and tumors? What can we do to augment immune control? • How does the immune system maintain tolerance to the body’s own tissue to prev...