The human immune status is complexan indicator of the state in which the immune system is located. The need for its study arises from the suspicion of the failure of the defense system. At the same time, the nature of the violations is revealed and the way to eliminate them is determined. The changes that the immune status undergoes must be identified in a timely manner. Otherwise, probably serious enough diseases (allergies, infectious processes, tumors and other pathologies).
Humoral (associated with fluid in the body) andcellular immunity affects the immune status, the analysis of their condition is carried out using individual tests included in the immunogram. The study allows you to determine the state of the body's defense system. As a result of the analysis, the specialist evaluates the usefulness of the various links that make up the immune status. In this case, all tests are important, since the protective function of the body is ensured by their joint actions.
The humoral link of a healthy immune systemis able to prevent the spread of pathogens (extracellular) virus and bacterial infections at the initial period of their penetration into the body. Humoral reactions are provided by B-lymphocytes and are carried out in serum. Recognizing the pathogen (a foreign agent) B-lymphocytes differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies - immunoglobulins (whey proteins). Immunoglobulins bind to a penetrated foreign agent, block its biological activity, and then remove it from the body. Thus, the direct action of immunoglobulins is carried out.
Whey proteins are involved in the activation of otherimmunological reactions that support normal immune status. For example, "killer cells" (NK and K cells) lyse (dissolve) completely foreign cells that are coated with immunoglobulins (IgG).
By binding to an antigen, immunoglobulins alsoactivate a set of eleven serum proteins (complement system). Some elements of the complement system have the ability to attack the cell membrane, provoking the death of an alien cell, other elements can delimit the area of inflammation and draw more leukocytes into it.
The humoral link, which is included in the immunestatus, is assessed by the detection and counting of B-lymphocytes in blood (in percentages and absolute numbers). Their functional activity (B-lymphocytes) is determined by the immunoglobulins synthesized by them in response to B-cell stimulation. The presence of antibodies to the most common viruses and bacteria, the concentration of autoantibodies or immune complexes is determined by measuring the total level of immunoglobulins and the number in different classes (IgA, IgG, IgM).
The complement system is important in carrying outdiagnostics of immunodeficiencies of a congenital nature with defects in this system. In other cases, for example, in autoimmune pathologies, data on C4 and C3 complement components are important.
In the norm of the immune status, the cellular uniteffectively copes with parasites, fungi, cancer cells, intracellular infections. Protective reactions are carried out in the lymphoid system of cells and are provided by T-lymphocytes. When a foreign element penetrates the body, the T cells that recognize it must be activated by triggering a process that helps to destroy the foreign element. T-lymphocytes of some populations interfere quite actively also in the humoral defense system, stimulating the synthesis of B-cell antibodies (T-helpers) or suppressing their production (T-suppressors).
