BLOOD

Normally, 7-8% of human body weight is from blood.  In adults, this amounts to 4.5-6
quarts of blood.  This essential fluid carries out the critical functions of transporting oxygen
and nutrients to our cells and getting rid of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and other waste
products.  In addition, it plays a vital role in our immune system and in maintaining a
relatively constant body temperature.  Blood is a highly specialized tissue composed of
more than 4,000 different kinds of components.  Four of the most important ones are red
cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma.  All humans produce these blood components--
there are no populational or regional differences.

Red Cells

Red cells, or erythrocytes , are relatively large microscopic cells without nuclei.  In this
latter trait, they are similar to the
primitive prokaryotic cells of bacteria.  Red cells
normally make up 40-50% of the total blood volume. 
They transport oxygen from the lungs to all of the
living tissues of the body and carry away carbon
dioxide.  The red cells are produced continuously in  
our bone marrow from stem cells at a rate of about 2-
3 million cells per second.   Hemoglobin  is the gas
transporting protein molecule that makes up 95% of
Human erythrocytes or "red cells"
a red cell.  Each red cell has about 270,000,000 iron-
(cell diameter about .0003 inches)
rich hemoglobin molecules.  People who are anemic
generally have a deficiency in red cells, and subsequently feel fatigued due to a shortage of
oxygen.  The red color of blood is primarily due to oxygenated red cells.  Human fetal
hemoglobin molecules differ from those produced by adults in the number of amino acid
chains.  Fetal hemoglobin has three chains, while adults produce only two.  As a
consequence, fetal hemoglobin molecules attract and transport relatively more oxygen to
the cells of the body.

White Cells

White cells, or leukocytes , exist in variable numbers and types but make up a very small
part of blood's volume--normally only about 1% in healthy people.  Leukocytes are not
limited to blood.  They occur elsewhere in the body as well, most notably in the spleen,
liver, and lymph glands.  Most are produced in our bone marrow from the same kind of
stem cells that produce red blood cells.  Others are produced in the thymus gland, which is
at the base of the neck.  Some white cells (called lymphocytes  ) are the first responders
for our immune system.  They seek out, identify, and bind to alien protein
on bacteria, viruses, and fungi so that they can be removed.  Other white cells
(called granulocytes  andmacrophages ) then arrive to surround and destroy the alien
cells.  They also have the function of getting rid of dead or dying blood cells as well as
foreign matter such as dust and asbestos.  Red cells remain viable for only about 4 months
before they are removed from the blood and their components recycled in the spleen.  
Individual white cells usually only last 18-36 hours before they also are removed, though
some types live as much as a year.  The description of white cells presented here is a
simplification.  There are actually many specialized sub-types of them that participate in
different ways in our immune responses.

Platelets

Platelets , or thrombocytes , are cell fragments without

nuclei that work with blood clotting chemicals at the site
of wounds.  They do this by adhering to the walls of
blood vessels, thereby plugging the rupture in  
the vascular wall.  They also can release coagulating
chemicals which cause clots to form in the blood that can
plug up narrowed blood vessels.  Thirteen different erythrocyte (left), thrombocyte
blood clotting factors, in addition to platelets, need to (center), and leukocyte (right) 
interact for clotting to occur.  They do so in a cascading
manner, one factor triggering another.  Hemophiliacs lack the ability to produce either
blood factor 8 or 9.

Platelets are not equally effective in clotting blood throughout the entire day.  The body's
circadian rhythm system (its internal biological clock) causes the peak of platelet activation
in the morning.  This is one of the main reasons that strokes and heart attacks are more
common in the morning. 

Recent research has shown that platelets also help fight infections by releasing proteins
that kill invading bacteria and some other microorganisms.  In addition, platelets stimulate
the immune system.  Individual platelets are about 1/3 the size of red cells.  They have a
lifespan of 9-10 days.  Like the red and white blood cells, platelets are produced in bone
marrow from stem cells. 

Plasma

Plasma  is the relatively clear, yellow tinted water (92+%), sugar, fat, protein and salt
solution which carries the red cells, white cells, and platelets.  Normally, 55% of our blood's
volume is made up of plasma.  As the heart pumps blood to cells throughout the body,
plasma brings nourishment to them and removes the waste products of metabolism. 
Plasma also contains blood clotting factors, sugars, lipids, vitamins,
minerals, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins.  It is likely that plasma
contains some of every protein produced by the body--approximately 500 have been
identified in human plasma so far.
 
Agglutination

Sometimes when the blood of two people is mixed together, it clumps or forms visible
islands in the liquid plasma--the red cells become attached to one another.   This is
agglutination.

 
Unagglutinated blood smear       Agglutinated blood

When different types of blood are mixed within the body, the reaction can be a bursting of
the red cells as well as agglutination.  Different types of blood are recognized on the
molecular level and sometimes rejected by being destroyed and ultimately filtered out by
the kidneys in order to expel them from the body along with urine.  In the case of a
transfusion mistake, there can be so much of the wrong type of blood in the system that it
can result in kidney failure and death.  This is due to the fact that when the kidneys try to
filter the blood, they essentially become clogged as they are overwhelmed and cease being
effective filters.  Additionally, there is a rapid depletion of blood clotting factors which
causes bleeding from every body orifice.  In the United States, about 1 in 12,000 units of
whole blood transfused is given to the wrong person.  Depending on the blood types of the
donor and the recipient, this can result in death or no problems at all.

The compositional difference between blood types is in the specific kinds of antigens   
found on the surface of the red cells.   Antigens are relatively large protein molecules that
provide the biological signature of an individual's blood type.

(not actual shape or size of antigens)

Within blood, there are substances called antibodies   which distinguish particular

antigens from others, causing bursting or agglutination of the red cells when alien antigens
are found.  The antibodies bind to the antigens.  In the case of agglutination, the antibodies
"glue" together the antigens from different red cells thereby sticking the red cells together
(as shown below on the right).

Antibodies seeking specific antigens   Antibodies agglutinating red cells

              (not actual shape or size of antigens and antibodies)

As agglutination proceeds, millions of red cells are glued together into clumps.  This is not
the same thing as clotting.   When agglutination occurs, the blood mostly remains liquid. 
With clotting, however, it does not.

The specific types of antigens on our red blood cells determine our blood types.   There
are 29 known human blood systems, or groups, for which each of us can be typed.  As a
result, there is one or more antigens for each of these blood groups.  Since many of these
blood systems also are found in apes and monkeys, it is likely that they evolved prior to the
time that we became a separate species.

History of Blood Transfusions

Long before the phenomenon of blood antigen-antibody interaction was discovered,

surgeons experimented with human transfusions in an attempt to save the lives of patients
who were dying from severe blood loss and the resulting shock.  The first attempt may
have been an English physician during the mid-17th century who infused a wounded
soldier with sheep blood.  Not surprisingly, the soldier suffered a painful death.  The first
successful transfusion of human blood to another human was done by a British doctor in
1818 in order to save the life of a woman who was hemorrhaging following childbirth.  By
the mid 19th century, European and American doctors used transfusions in a last ditch
attempt to save soldiers and other patients with horrendous wounds.  They usually
transferred blood directly from a healthy individual to their patient via a rubber tube with
hypodermic needles at each end.  This occasionally resulted in success but more often than
not killed the recipient.  The results seemed to be random.  Doctors in the 19th century also
experimented with a variety of blood substitutes, including milk, water, and even oils.

It was the discovery of the ABO   blood types in 1900 that finally led us to understand
how to consistently use transfusions to save lives.  Even with this knowledge, however, life
threatening reactions still occur in about 1 out of 80,000 transfusions in developed
nations.  The ABO blood group and its central role in transfusion failures is described in the
next section of this tutorial.
White Cell Antibodies

The blood type antigen-antibody interaction is one of many similar recognition-

rejection phenomena in our bodies.  Infectious microorganisms, such as viruses, also
carry foreign antigens which stimulate the production of white cell antibodies
(lymphocytes) that attack the antigens by binding to them as a way of getting rid of the
invading parasites.  Once stem cells in our bone marrow produce antibodies to identify a
specific alien antigen, we have the ability to produce them more quickly and in larger
numbers.  This results in the development of a long-term active immunity to future
invasions of the same kind of alien antigen.  This is the key to successful vaccination for
viruses and some other microorganisms that invade our bodies.

White cell antibodies are also responsible for recognizing and rejecting alien body tissues,
or, more accurately, the antigens on their cells.  This is the main reason that organ
transplants were most often unsuccessful in the past until the creation of drugs that can
suppress the immune system and thereby prevent organ rejection.  The immune system
that is responsible is called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system.  This is by far the
most polymorphic of all known human genetic systems--there are more than 100 antigens
on tissue cells in humans resulting in approximately 30,000,000 possible HLA genotypes. 
The chances of two unrelated people having the same HLA genotypes is very slim. 
Subsequently, HLA incompatibility between organ donors and recipients are common. 

COMMON BLOOD DISEASES

There is a large body of research on glutathione, common blood diseases, and the heart.

Blood diseases are abnormalities in the number, shape and or structure of the blood cells,
called erythrocytes. There are several ways to categorize these diseases. Many of the
classifications overlap.

This section will not focus on the many types of blood diseases. There are many more than
we have space to cover.

For those facing health problems in which there are no answers to be found or those
looking for alternatives, our purpose is to show the relationship of glutathione in the
disease process. Sometimes there is no direct studies linking glutathione with the blood
disease. However, looking at the research will allow, in some instances, a connecting of the
dots to find solutions.

It will still be necessary to coordinate care with your doctor.

Red Blood Cell Abnormalities

Some common blood diseases are the result of blood cell membrane being too rigid or
abnormalities in the proteins that cover the membrane.

The cell membrane can be leaky allowing substance to escape or penetrate the cell walls.

Abnormalities in the structure and function of the hemoglobin.

An excessive amount of red blood cells and sometimes increases in other blood cells.

Anemia, the lack of oxygen carrying ability is one of the most common blood diseases.
There are several types.

Anemia

Aplastic

Cooleyâ €™s Thalassemia

Folic acid deficiency

Hemolytic

Iron-deficiency

Pernicious

Rheumatoid Arthritis Anemia

Sickle Cell Anemia

The Glutathione Sickle Cell Anemia Treatment

Red Blood Cell Disease: Genetic Blood Diseases

Lack of a certain enzyme which disrupts the metabolism. Deficiencies of this kind have a
genetic origin.

White Blood Cell: Disease and Abnormalities

Lymphocyte Abnormalities

Many blood born disease, genetic blood disease, blood disorders and lymphocyte disorders
have a relationship to glutathione levels and the progression of disease. Even the rare
blood disease has some research that looks at glutathione. The rare disease often requires
mining the data out of the studies in order to find the evidence.
Blood Metabolic Derangements

The Cholesterol Glutathione Relationship

The LDL and HDL Ratios

Causes of High Cholesterol

3 Causes of High Cholesterol

Foods to Avoid High Cholesterol

Blood Disorders Diseases

Disorders of Cell Proliferation

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura or ITP blood disease affects the blood platelets.

Diseases of cell proliferation or cell production include Leukeimia, a group of cancers of

blood forming tissues.

Polycythemia Vera The overproduction of red cells or of platelets (essential

thrombocytosis) can result in malignancy. It is also a toxin associated blood disease (see
below.) In both cases, NAC is recommended by numerous health care professionals for the
management of the disease.

What are Polycythemia Vera Symptoms?

Myelodysplastic syndromes have ineffective production of one or more cell lines.

Disorders of Coagulation or Blood Clotting

Hemophilia, a genetic disorder that results in dysfunction of one or more of the clotting
mechanisms. An otherwise minor wound could be life threatening. Often this results in
bleeding into joints which can cripple.

Disorders of the platelets or insufficient platelets can result in a coagulopathy or bleeding

disorder. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), also known as consumptive
coagulopathy is one of the complications.

Hypercoagualable state (thrombophilia) is the result of a defect in the regulation of

platelets or clotting factor function and cause thrombosis.

Blood Transfusion Related Complications

Blood Transfusion Side Effects

Allogenic Blood Transfusion Side Effects

Autologous Blood Transfusion Risks

Blood Transfusion Errors

Blood Transfusion Reaction: another transfusion problem.

Blood Born Common Blood Diseases

Blood born diseases are spread by contamination of blood.

Common types include HIV, hepatitis, and viral haemorrhagic fever.

Diseases transmitted by insect or other vector are called vector-borne disease. Most
common include West Nile virus and malaria. Once a person is infected and their blood is
transfused into another, the blood causes a blood born disease.

Vector-Born Blood Disease

Dengue Fever / Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

Here you will find doctors treatment protocols and patient management protocols based
on WHO guidelines but for holistic health practitioners.

Infectious Blood

Blood not only gets infected but it can also transmit infection. The HIV virus which causes
Aids is transmitted by contact with blood, semen or other body secretions of an person
who is infected.

Hepatitis B and C, D, E, G, H, I, TT, Sma 1 are transmitted primarily through blood contact or
transfusions. Blood, blood products and bloodstained objects are treated as a bio hazard.

Bacterial infection of the blood is bacteremia or sepsis. Viral Infection is viremia. Malaria
and trypanosomiasis are blood-borne parasitic infections.

Transfusion Transmitted Disease of Blood

Hepatitis Blood Transfusion Risks

Blood Born and Vector Born TT Risk

Cryoglobulinemia

TTV - Transfusion Transmitted Virus

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

Chronic Wasting Disease (New Mad Cow Disease)

KS and HHV-8 Kaposiâ €™s sarcoma (KS) and herpes virus-8 (HHV-8)

Leishmaniasis

Lyme Disease

Malaria

Chagas Disease

Babesiosis

Toxoplasmosis

Bacterial Contamination of Blood Products

Infectious Disorders of Blood

Blood Toxins: Blood Diseases

A chemical that causes damage to or disease in the blood or harms blood production. Blood
toxins, known as hematopoietics, can prevent the blood from carrying oxygen to cells.

Polycythemia Rubra Vera (PV). There is now evidence that PV is caused by exposure to

toxins.

Gasoline Related Blood Disease Many common toxic substances can cause blood born
disease. Consider this look at three men who were exposed to gasoline for much of their
life. In later life, they all developed gasoline related blood diseases.

The chemical exposure was considered to be the reason.

Did we miss one of the common blood diseases? Please let us know and we will try to
include it. Please be patient as we add to the body of evidence based research here. There
are numerous other common blood diseases we have yet to cover here.

Anemia
Red Blood Cell Disease: Genetic Blood Diseases

Lack of a certain enzyme which disrupts the metabolism. Deficiencies of this kind have a
genetic origin.

White Blood Cell: Disease and Abnormalities

Lymphocyte Abnormalities

Many blood born disease, genetic blood disease, blood disorders and lymphocyte disorders
have a relationship to glutathione levels and the progression of disease. Even the rare
blood disease has some research that looks at glutathione. The rare disease often requires
mining the data out of the studies in order to find the evidence.

BLOOD VESSELS
 Blood vessels are part of the circulatory system, which
passes nutrients, blood, hormones, and other important substances to and from body cells
in order to maintain homeostasis. Theblood vessels are responsible for
transporting blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels:
arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Oxygen is the most important nutrient carried by the blood. Arteries carry
oxygenated bloodfrom the heart to all the structures of the body. Capillaries are very small,
permeable vesselsat which the exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and
body tissues takes place. The veins carry deoxygenated blood from the capillaries back to
the heart.
Arteries and veins have the same structure. They are composed of three layers: the tunica
intima, the tunica media, and the tunica adventitia. The tunica intima in the innermost
layer, as well as the thinnest. It consists of a layer of simple squamous endothelium, with a
layer of connective tissue underneath.
The intermediate tunica media is the thickest layer of the blood vessel. It contains
elastic fibers, connective tissue, and in some vessels, smooth muscle. The smooth muscle
controls the size of the blood vessel; for instance, it can make a particular vessel wider if a
specific area requires increased blood supply. The widening of the blood vessels in
called vasodilation, while a narrowing of the vessels is called vasoconstriction. Both
processes are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, and are not under conscious
control.
The tunica adventitia is the outermost layer of the veins and artieries. It consists of
connective tissue, with no epithelium. In the larger blood vessels, it also contains nerves
and capillaries, called the vaso vasorum.
The capillaries are much simpler in structure than the arteries and veins. They usually
consist of a layer of simple squamous epithelium, though some have connective tissue as
well. The capillaries must be very tiny in order to allow for the exchange of nutrients
between the bloodand the body tissues.
Tiny arteries leading to capillaries are called arterioles, while tiny veins leading
from capillaries are called venules. The largest artery, leading from the heart, is the aorta,
while the largest vein, carrying blood into the heart, is the vena cava. The pulmonary artery
and the pulmonary vein, which are the blood vessels leading to and from the lungs,
respectively, are the only artery carrying deoxygenated blood and the only vein carrying
oxygenated blood in the body.

BLOOD VESSEL DISEASE

Blood vessel disease occurs when the blood vessels constrict. Narrowing down of blood
vessels results in decreased transport of oxygen-rich blood to the different parts of the
body. This article provides information on the causes, types and symptoms of blood vessel
diseases.

Blood vessel disease, also known as vascular disease or artery disease is the narrowing
down or constriction of blood vessels in the arms, abdomen and legs. The blood vessels in
the body are responsible for the transport of oxygen, blood and nutrients throughout the
body. Blood vessels comprise veins and arteries. The arteries (except pulmonary artery)
carry oxygenated blood and the veins (except pulmonary vein) carry de-oxygenated blood.
Narrowing of arteries and veins leads to artery disease. The constriction of arteries causes
less oxygenated blood to flow to the different parts of the body, resulting in cell or tissue
death. If this condition is not treated, it can end up in gangrene, which is a condition in
which the cells and tissues of the body extremities die. When this happens, amputation of
those parts of the body is done. 

Causes of Blood Vessel Disease

Artery disease is generally caused due to constriction of blood vessels, by plaque built from
fats and cholesterol over a long period of time. Saturated fats found in fried and junk foods
go and collect on the walls of blood vessels, eventually blocking the path for blood flow.
Family history, age, gender, etc. increase the possibility of getting vascular disease. People
over the age of 45 or who have family members with such heart or blood vessel diseases
are at greater risk of contracting this disease. Moreover, certain conditions such as
diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and sedentary lifestyle
can lead to blood vessel problems. 

Types of Blood Vessel Disease

Vascular is divided into different types depending on the area to which blood flow is
restricted. The main types of blood vessel problems and diseases are as follows:

Coronary Artery Disease: The chief cause for this condition is the build-up of fatty acids
called plaque on the walls of the coronary arteries. These are arteries supplying blood
laden with oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscles. When a person consumes a high-fat
diet, the fatty material from the blood gets deposited on the walls of the coronary arteries,
causing their pathways to narrow down. Over a period of time, the blood vessels will get
blocked due to excess fat deposits and blood flow to the heart muscles will get stopped,
thereby resulting in heart attack. 

Aneurysm: This disease features a bulge or weakness in the walls of the blood vessel. The
genesis of aneurysm takes place as a weakness in the wall of the blood vessel. As time
passes, the force of blood in the blood vessel causes this weak portion to balloon out. Once
the aneurysm is formed, it gets larger gradually, making it prone to rupture. This type of
blood vessel disease can occur in the arteries of the brain or the heart, especially at the
basal portion of the brain and the abdominal aorta. This disease can be life-threatening by
resulting in brain hemorrhage and even death. 

Peripheral Arterial Disease: This disease affects the blood supply to the arms and legs.
This happens when the arteries in the legs narrow down, due to the build up of plaque in
the arteries. This thickening of arterial walls by calcium, fibrous tissue, fat and cholesterol
is called atherosclerosis. The arteries become narrow and blood flow to the different parts
of the body is reduced. When the constriction is mild, the afflicted person faces pain in the
legs while walking or exercising, which subsides after some rest. In the later stages, the
arteries get even more blocked, leading to acute pain and cramping. In severe cases, this
condition can also result in tissue death. Diabetes, obesity, hypertension, etc. increase the
risks of peripheral arterial disease. 

Hypertension: High blood pressure is one very common artery diseases in the West and is
caused by the increased pressure of the blood moving through the blood vessels.
Hypertension can be life-threatening; however, it has several treatment options. This
condition can lead to heart failure and stroke as well. Artery diseases are also called
diseases of the cardiovascular system. Coronary artery disease and hypertension are the
two most common forms of blood vessel problems. A leading cause of death worldwide is
cardiovascular disease. This can also affect blood vessels of the brain, thereby leading to
dementia. 

Symptoms of Blood Vessel Disease

These signs are observed in the arms, abdomen and legs. They are as follows:

 Muscle cramps
 Muscle ache
 Cold hands and feet
 Pale skin
 Hair loss on the toes, feet and legs
 Sores that take too long to heal
 Sores when scabbed over appear black
 Slight or no pulse in the feet or legs
 Skin and nails appear reddish-blue in color

While nothing much can be done to change inherited genes, one can prevent blood vessel
disease by keeping a strict tab on one's diet. By making healthy choices, one can prevent or
slow down this vascular disease. One should avoid eating a lot of saturated fats, which are
present in abundance in junk food and fried dishes. A high-fiber, balanced and nutritious
meal is what will help keep this disease at bay. Regular exercise is also recommended to
burn up the excess calories consumed. Moreover, exercise helps increase the levels of good
cholesterol in the blood, which reduce risks of heart diseases and artery blocks.