Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

The Immune System and Allergies 237
infection with a VIRUS that hijacks and then
destroys certain T-cell lymphocytes. There are
treatments but as yet no cures for most immunodeficiencies,
including HIV/AIDS.
Cancer: treacherous betrayal One of the greatest
mysteries about immune function is cancer,
the unregulated growth of cells. Ordinarily the
immune response detects and destroys abnormal
cells in the body, even when they are self cells.
Cancer represents the ultimate betrayal of the
immune system by self cells that dangerously
mutate yet maintain enough self-antigens to
escape detection. There comes a point in a cancer’s
development when tumor necrosis factors (TNFS),
potent antitumor substances, are no longer able to
squelch the errant growth. Some tumors seem
able to avoid activating TNFs at all.
DISORDERS OF IMMUNE FUNCTION
ALLERGIC ASTHMA
ALLERGIC DERMATITIS
ANAPHYLAXIS
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS
autoimmune ADDISON’S DISEASE
BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID
dermatomyositis
DIABETES type 1
FOOD ALLERGIES
GOODPASTURE’S SYNDROME
GRAVES’S DISEASE
HIV/AIDS
IgA NEPHROPATHY
LEUKEMIA
lymphoma
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
organ transplant rejection
PEMPHIGUS
pernicious ANEMIA
REITER’S SYNDROME
SARCOIDOSIS
SEVERE COMBINED
IMMUNODEFICIENCY (SCID)
VASCULITIS
ALLERGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS
ALLERGIC RHINITIS
ANGIOEDEMA
ATOPY
autoimmune HEPATITIS
COMMON VARIABLE
IMMUNODEFICIENCY (CVID)
DISCOID LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
(DLE)
GRAFT VS. HOST DISEASE
Hashimoto’s THYROIDITIS
HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTION
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
(IBD)
MULTIPLE MYELOMA
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
PARTIAL COMBINED
IMMUNODEFICIENCY (PCID)
POLYMYOSITIS
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
SCLERODERMA
SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
(SLE)
Traditions in Medical History
Until the discovery of BACTERIA and viruses in the
19th century, doctors had little understanding for
how the body contained and fought infection.
Recognizing fever as a sign of healing led to efforts
to “sweat out” the infection. Bloodletting was long
a tradition for treating all kinds of ailments. The
body’s natural ability and tendency to overcome
most infections gave credence to these and other
methods. With the recognition of microbes and
their role in pathogenesis (process of infection),
research leapfrogged to greatly expanded understanding
of immune system components and their
functions.
Contemporary research has shown that some
pre–MICROBE era therapeutic efforts have merit for
bolstering immune function. Herbs such as ECHI-
NACEA, GOLDENSEAL, and FEVERFEW boost immune
response. Licorice root, turmeric, ginger, white
willow (the forerunner of aspirin), witch hazel,
and GREEN TEA are effective anti-inflammatory
agents. Vitamins and minerals aid the intricate
biochemical conversions essential for immune
function. Antioxidants clear away molecular
debris. Nature, as it turns out, staunchly supports
the immune system.
Breakthrough Research and Treatment Advances
One of the most significant breakthroughs in disease
management came with the introduction of
vaccines in the mid-20th century. Before 1950,
infection was the leading cause of death among
Americans. The debut of antibiotic medications at
the end of World War II was a tremendous stride
in the ability to fight bacterial infections. But
antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. In 1950
the viral infection POLIOMYELITIS was the leading
cause of PARALYSIS among Americans; a decade
later vaccination had made polio a rare condition.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared
SMALLPOX, the first infection for which there was a
successful VACCINE, eradicated in nearly all parts of
the world in 1970—another landmark triumph in
manipulation of the immune system to protect the
body against infection without actually acquiring
the infection. Today vaccines have made rare
many diseases that were once common killers.
As researchers learn more about immune function
and disease processes, the emphasis is shifting
from treating the disease to preventing its development.
Most CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD), the
leading cause of death among Americans, stems
from a combination of lifestyle factors and inflammatory
response. Though doctors have long