Immunological research

The immune system performs the function of protecting the body from foreign agents and from altered potentially dangerous own components. The term "immune" comes from the Latin word "free from".Immune mechanisms reflect the action of interconnected cells, tissues and organs, the totality of which is called the immune system.

Each person has an individual reactivity of the immune system in relation to various pathogens of infectious diseases. Nevertheless, despite this, the formed immune response with respect to infectious agents has common for all regularities.

To protect the body from infectious agents, a number of effector mechanisms are involved that:

counteract the introduction and spread of an infectious agent in the body;

■ have a cytotoxic and cytotoxic effect on the causative agent of an infectious disease;

■ neutralizes various factors of aggression and pathogenicity of microorganisms and products of their vital activity;

■ remove foreign arteries from the vascular bed and the body;

■ "memorize" the spatial configuration of foreign arteries so that, upon repeated contact with them, the immune defense effect is more rapid and effective.

Immune protection factors are divided into two categories: antigen-specific( congenital) and antigen-specific( acquired, adaptive).Congenital factors of protection are non-specific, operate without the mechanisms of recognition and storage of the structure of the infectious agent, therefore they represent the same reactions to any stimulus during invasion or damage. Acquired factors are able to recognize and remember the peculiarities of the molecular structure of the infectious agent, and therefore, with repeated contacts with them, the protective effect can be more rapid and effective. In the process of immune defense against infection, antigen-specific and antigen-specific groups of factors are closely interrelated and interact with each other.

Antigen-specific immune defense factors include:

■ cells of border tissues( skin, mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, digestive and urogenital tract);

■ resident cells of various organs and tissues;

■ blood cells;

■ endotheliocytes and intima of the arteries;

■ circulating and secreted water-soluble molecules - antigen-specific humoral factors.

Antigen-specific components of the immune system - T- and B-lymphocytes and AT.Of all cells in the immune system, only lymphocytes are able to recognize Ar, interact with it, and provide the formation of immunological memory. To ensure their specific functions, T and B lymphocytes contain antigen-recognizing receptors that have extracellular, transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions. Each lymphocyte has a variety of antigen-recognizing receptors. The interaction of antigen-recognizing receptors of T- and B-lymphocytes with infectious agents is the first phase of lymphocyte activation and subsequent proliferation and / or differentiation. Subsequently, signals for the realization of the immune response to Ar are given by means of cytokines( IL-2, IL-12, IL-4, etc.) and direct interaction of Ar with the receptors. As a result of antigenic activation in the human body, lymphocytes of the antigenic clone accumulate, which provide protection against this type of infectious agents.

The outcome of any infectious disease is determined by the properties of the pathogen, the number of infectious agents, their ability to reproduce and resist the mechanisms of anti-infective immunity, the collection and activity of antigen-specific and antigen-specific immune defense factors. In most cases, the immune system responds to infectious agents in combination - both inborn and acquired mechanisms. However, the importance of antigen-specific and antigen-specific mechanisms of immune defense against various infectious agents and even at different stages of the infectious process can vary significantly.