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Introduction
The articles listed in the immunology section were originally
written for distribution to members of an internet course. These
individuals had alopecia areata and were interested in learning
about the immune system. The articles are posted here for a larger
audience.
The immune system treads a fine line between successful defense
of the organism and its complete destruction. An under reaction
may allow the pathogen to gain a foothold and overpower the individual.
However, an overreaction can also lead to dire consequences for
the individual. The immune system is, by necessity, a highly complex
system capable of responding to any and all challenges, but at
the same time requires constant self monitoring and self regulation
to ensure any response is not detrimental to the individual. From
one point of view the immune system is a highly complex, elegant,
comprehensive defense mechanism. From another, it is the apocryphal
bull in a china shop, almost blind and potentially highly destructive.
It has been suggested that with increasing age our immune systems
of self regulation gradually break down and this may lead to development
of subclinical autoimmune responses which may contribute our death.
The human race has extended life expectancy to such an extent
that we encounter age related problems that no other wild species
has experienced. Our immune system has developed with the intention
of providing protection until the individual is old enough to
procreate. Once transmission of our genes is complete, the individual's
job is done. The immune system and the human body was not designed
to last for more than 30 years.
Understanding
immunology
Historically, an understanding of the ability of our bodies to
defend against infection has been with us for as long as we have
documentary records. It seems to have evolved as an explanation
of challenge from infections providing greater resistance towards
future infection. In 430BC a plague (the true pathogen is unknown)
swept through Athens. It was documented by Thucydides in his dialogue
"History of the Peloponnesian war" Thucydides made several
observations on the plague including the fact that those who survived
an attack (including himself) did not experience the plague again.
In other words, the first challenge of the plague to an individual
apparently conferred resistance to any further attack regardless
of exposure level - assuming that the person survived the first
attack of course! There are many instances of this understanding
of survival of a pathogenic infection conferring further resistance
to that disease throughout history but these observations were not
recognized as circumstantial evidence for an internal defense system.
Before this could happen, societies required a fundamental change
in their understanding of the world. Until quite recently, disease
was regarded as a punishment from God or gods. God struck down those
with evil in their hearts, it was a penalty and the ultimate price
was death. For those who survived, they had clearly seen the error
of their ways, had repented and made their peace with God. Their
return to the faith ensured their future lack of attack by the disease.
With this fatalistic approach to death and disease their was little
chance of developing an understanding of the immune system. However,
societies of the far east, and China in particular, pursued a different
form of religion more conducive to analytical observation.
Necessity
is the mother of invention - smallpox
The greatest advances in our understanding of science and technology
have come through pressure applied under difficult circumstances.
The two world wars were the driving force behind major advances
in technology, medical science and surgical practice. Mother nature
also has her method of providing impetus to new research and development
in the biological world. Currently that force arguably includes
HIV/AIDS, Creutzfeldt Jakob/mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,
BSE), and malaria. These conditions are viral or prion based. Historically
however, the challenge to the human race has been such infectious
diseases as cholera, diphtheria, tuberculosis, leprosy, typhoid
and arguably the "greatest" of them all, smallpox.
Historically smallpox was been a worldwide terror killing millions
of people. China did not escape its ravages. Chinese medical practitioners
responded with a hair of the dog treatment. Pus from the sores of
an affected individual was transferred to people who were unaffected
by making scratches in the unaffected persons skin and massaging
in the pus. The Chinese were well aware this would transfer the
disease and with the considerable risk of death. However, it would
seem that they were also aware that if the individual survived they
would not be affected by small pox again. We assume the Chinese
doctors decided that controlling the transfer of smallpox in this
way they could ensure that the disease hit when the individual was
at their healthiest. Frequently, the small pox was given to children
and young adults when their ability to defend against disease was
at its greatest. Although the Chinese could not stop the spread
of small pox, they had learned enough to understand about controlling
its spread and limiting its destruction. The fatalistic approach
of western society did not provide a suitable environment to make
these observations independently.
First observed in China, smallpox spread worldwide. Small pox
probably came to Europe with the Moorish invasions and later to
the New World with the arrival of European explorers. With no previous
encounter of this form of disease many indigenous American peoples
were entirely destroyed as small pox swept through South America.
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