Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Immunomodulations

Immunomodulation 
Alteration of immune response to a desire level according to current need of body, including immunopotentiation, immunosuppression, or induction of immunological tolerance. From a therapeutic point of view, immunomodulation refers to any process in which an immune response is altered to a desired level. Microorganisms are also capable of modulating the response of the immune system to their presence, in order to establish or consolidate an infection.


Immunotolerence 
Immunological tolerance is the failure to mount an immune response to an antigen. It can be: Natural or "self" tolerance. This is the failure (a good thing) to attack the body's own proteins and other antigens. If the immune system should respond to "self", an autoimmune disease may result.


Hypersensitivity 
A state of altered reactivity in which the body reacts with an exaggerated immune response to what is perceived as a foreign substance.

Introduction to Hypersensitivity & Allergy from Dr Alok Tripathi

Autoimmunity 
Autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease

Monday, June 20, 2016

Specific Immune Response

Antigens & Antibodies

Any compound/ entity, which can elicit the production of antibodies in the individual is designated as an antigen. The antigen on presenting through the MHC, to B-Cells can elicit the production of globulin glycoproteins, which can neutralise the antigen, is known as antibody.
Lymphocytes: Main Player of Specific Immunity
Lymphocytes are agranular leukocytes of vertebrates, responsible for coordination, modulation and execution of specific cellular and humoral immunity.

MHC: Major Histocompatibility Complex
Antigen presenting cell will not recognise, antigen until it is not presented through MHC, is a set of cell surface proteins essential for the acquired immune system to recognise foreign molecules in vertebrates, which in turn determines histocompatibility. The main function of MHC molecules is to bind to peptide fragments derived from pathogens and display them on the cell surface for recognition by the appropriate T-cells.
MHC: Major Histocompetability Complex from Dr Alok Tripathi
Antigen Processing & Presentation
Antigen presentation describes a vital immune process. Immune cells cannot penetrate other cells, which may be infected with viruses or bacteria, and thus rely on information conveyed by fragments of intracellular components being presented on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules on the cell surface. Likewise, many pathogens are too large to be recognised directly by immune cells, and must first be digested into smaller fragments that can be presented by specialised antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells and macrophages.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Nonspecific Defences

There are physical, chemical, and cellular defences against invasion by viruses, bacteria, and other agents of disease. During the early stages of an infection, there is an inflammatory response


Non-Specific Immune Response from Dr Alok Tripathi

During later stages, leucocytes produce immune responses Antigen - a foreign substance which triggers an immune response Some WBC's produce antibodies in huge amounts Antibodies - substances which bind to specific antigens and tag them for destruction Other WBC's (executioner cells) directly destroy body cell
Inflammation Inflammation is a process by which the body's white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses.

Cell & Tissues of the Immune Response: Lymphoid system

The lymphoid system consists of various separate tissues and organs, it functions as a single entity.
Cells
  • – Innate response- several cell types
  • – Adaptive (specific) response- lymphocytes

Organs
  • – Primary where lymphocytes develop/mature
  • – Secondary where mature lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells interact to initiate a specific immune response
        
More presentations from Dr Alok Tripathi
Circulatory system- blood

  • Lymphatic system- lymph

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Increasing Cases of Suicides: Has Parent any Role to play


In recent time, the statistics of suicides among the students are shaken the whole education system and educationalists along with the parents very badly. India has one of the world’s highest rates of suicides among people, aged between 15 -29 years, ranged from 30 to 40 people per 100,000 [1]. There could be numerous diversified reasons can be enlisted behind this but consequences are devastating, not only to parents but to society & nation too. Some basic risk factors enlisted by psychologists [2] for suicides are as below:
  • 1.       New environment
  • 2.      Loss of a social network
  • 3.      Loss of the safety net found at home
  • 4.      Pressure academically or socially
  • 5.      Isolation and alienation
  • 6.      Lack of coping skills
  • 7.      Difficulty adjusting to new demands of college life
  • 8.      Decreased academic performance and subsequent feelings of failure
  • 9.      Experimentation with drugs and alcohol

However, in present issue, I would like to discuss only a small portion of whole picture, to which, I would like to start with few questions to Indian parents?
  • ·       Is there any difference between resources manager/ financier, and parent?
  • ·         Does parent knows what their child is doing at given point of time?
  • ·         Does parent knows how many and which kind friends, their child is nurturing?
  • ·    Does parent tell their child “you are my primary concern than your achievements” before imposing their ambitions?
  • ·         Does your child addicted to something & if so, how he or she manages money for it?
  • ·   Besides, your set questionnaires, like how much percentages will you achieve in coming examination etc, how much time you spend daily?

Today, most of parents are very much busy in earning money and resources to their children and some of them even adopt wrong way for securing their future. Though, hardly sit for even half an hour to have words with them. In fact, everyone is doing every possible thing to secure the future of their ward, at least what parents are saying. Of course, time is changing and competitions are not only confined to the children, but are with the parents also. So, let’s explain your constraint with your child. But do explain it to them and try to establish a balance between your growth and the growth of children. However, parents have to be utmost honest while they will explain their problems to their kids, because sometime ego penetrates into the emotions in various shape & form, very silently.
In past time, since, the grand parents of the kids were also with them, so these conversations with children usually don’t break, rather stronger, which are usually not a case at present. Thus, this responsibility has ultimately come to the parent now. Moreover, keep in mind that your kid is not an object to dispense your anxiety or anger, which is absolutely your headache. It doesn't mean you don’t punish or treat the kids. The worst punishment is to avoid them, so usually avoid it. Yes, parents are not child psychologist and accordingly it can’t’ be expected to them for an arithmetically calculated treatment, but your emotional support will be cope up the negativity of your punishment. I am of opinion that rather than punishment the serious talk with the children regarding issue shall be more impact-full.

And now, the most important issue which is responsible for suicide is ambition of parents. However, imposing your ambition to kid is not a sin providing if it could be justified logically. And, before imposing your ambitions, parents must understand that every child has unique sets of talents and it is your most important responsibility to work out the skills, your child is possessing. Thereafter you can have several dialogues with child to decide what kind of field shall be the best to explore the skill of child. Another, equally important issue is, parents shouldn't focus on the results of kids but on their efforts with optimistic outlook and should always stand with results whatever it may be. Please note that if you wouldn't be optimistic with the results of your child, how you could expect the same from them. Let them realize that you (son/daughter) are most important to me than your achievements but yes, I shall be the happiest with your achievements.

The best thing is especially present time that you will have so many avenues at each turning point so never be hopeless for any unpleasant result. 

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Introduction to Immunolgy

An Introduction To Immunology


Immunology is the study of Immunity, a sum of whole system, responsible for operation conducted to specifically recognizes, effectively attack, selectively eliminates and displays a long-term memory for any invading pathogen.


In basic terms, the immune system has two lines of defense: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the first immunological, non-specific (antigen-independent) mechanism for fighting against an intruding pathogen. It is a rapid immune response, occurring within minutes or hours after aggression, that has no immunologic memory. Adaptive immunity, on the other hand, is antigen-dependent and antigen-specific; it has the capacity for memory, which enables the host to mount a more rapid and efficient immune response upon subsequent exposure to the antigen. There is a great deal of synergy between the adaptive immune system and its innate counterpart, and defects in either system can provoke illness or disease, such as autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency disorders and hypersensitivity reactions. This article provides a practical overview of innate and adaptive immunity, and describes how these host defence mechanisms are involved in both health and illness.
Introduction to immunology from Dr Alok Tripathi