Immune System for Dummies

[BrownBagger]

I found this description of our immune system to be fascinating and very user friendly:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_an ... ystem.html

One quibble I do have is that the author lumps "chemotherapy" into one immune system compromising category. My understanding, in discussions with my doctors, is that while my immune system may be compromised, it's not compromised in a way that makes me more susceptible to common maladies, such as colds and the flu. Whether or not I'd fare worse than a "healthy" person if I got the flu is something I forgot to ask. In short, different chemotherapies have different effects on the immune system.

[juliej]

I agree - the answer is not black and white with chemotherapy. My liver surgeon said that in some patients the immune system works in association with the chemotherapy. The chemo knocks down the tumors and simultaneously "awakens" the immune system to help out. That certainly fits with my response since the reaction from the doctors was "chemo alone could not have done this." However, low WBC during treatment seems to indicate a compromised immune system, so it's a puzzle what's going on. That's one of the things they are studying at MSK.

I've noticed an awful lot of cancer patients say they didn't catch colds while on treatment. There's something odd there too.

[PGLGreg]

About the "innate immune" responses, the article says:

These haphazard responses are mildly helpful, supremely annoying, but—and this is crucial—are not what actually defeats an infection.

I would have to see the evidence that they "are not what actually defeats an infection". The author offers none. And because they are annoying, even though helpful, we would not want to boost this part of the immune system? Does that even make sense?

[BrownBagger]

It makes sense to me, Greg, i.e., the benefit received is not worth the misery endured.

[singingholly]

Love it!

[lpas]

Very, very interesting. Thanks for posting!!