Neutrophils are the first line of defense against microbial invasion. They arrive at the site of inflammation during the critical 2-4 hr after microbial invasion to contain the infection and prevent hematogenous dissemination. This well-orchestrated process is one of the most…
Eosinophils are distinguished from other leukocytes by their morphology, constituent products, and association with specific diseases. Eosinophils are nondividing, fully differentiated cells with a diameter of approximately 8 µm and a bilobed nucleus. They differentiate from stem cell precursors in the…
Mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes, macrophages) are distributed across all body tissues and play a central role in maintaining immunologic and metabolic homeostasis. They are essential for innate host defense against infection, tissue repair and remodeling, and the antigen-specific adaptive immune response.…
The Phagocytic Inflammatory Response The phagocyte system includes both granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils) and mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes and tissue macrophages). Neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes share primary functions, including the defining properties of large-particle ingestion and microbial killing. Phagocytes participate…
The manifestations of immune deficiencies that affect multiple cell types range from profound to mild; these conditions can present with severe infection, recurrent infections, unusual infections, or autoimmunity. The most profound disorder is severe combined immunodeficiency. Other combined immunodeficiencies include…
Defects in cellular immunity, historically referred to T-cell defects, comprise a large number of distinct immune deficiencies. The manifestations usually include prolonged viral infections, opportunistic fungal or mycobacterial infections, and a predisposition to autoimmunity. To facilitate conceptualization of this large…
Of the primary immunodeficiency diseases, those affecting antibody production are the most prevalent. Selective absence of IgA is the most common defect, with rates ranging from 1 in 333 to 1 in 18,000 persons among different races and ethnicities. Patients…
Defense against infectious agents is secured through a combination of anatomic physical barriers, including the skin, mucous membranes, mucous blanket, and ciliated epithelial cells, and the components of the immune system. The immune system of vertebrates integrates 2 fundamental response…
Primary care physicians must have a high index of suspicion to diagnose immune system defects early enough to institute appropriate treatment before irreversible damage develops. Diagnosis can be difficult because most affected patients do not have abnormal physical features. The…
This chapter was made possible with the support of an Advancing Healthier Wisconsin 5520298 grant. In chronic overlapping pain conditions ( COPCs ), several painful symptoms affecting different body systems coexist without clear underlying pathophysiology. Other terms for COPCs include…