BNI PRESENTATION

January 28, 2021

by Kathryn Forester

InBody Therapeutics, PLLC

Immune (and Lymphatic) System(s)

BASIC IMMUNOLOGY TERMS
• portal of entry: how does pathogen gain access into the body?
• dose: how much pathogen must get in to cause infection/sickness?
• virulence: how bad or how strong is pathogen?
• predisposition: factors increasing/decreasing probability of contracting pathogen
• immunity: resistance to specific disease
• pathogen: “living” organism causing disease
• pathogenesis: step-by-step progression of pathology (i.e., signs/symptoms,
structural/functional changes)
• antigen: anything that stimulates antibody production (i.e., viruses, pollen, chemicals,
vaccines)
• antibody: blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen
• complement: blood protein helping bind antibodies to antigens
LINES OF DEFENSE
Non-Specific: things your body uses to try to fend off ALL pathogens
FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
Physical or Mechanical Barriers
• Skin: functions like a “brick wall”: with closely packed cells, joined by lipids
& proteins; cells constantly slough off to carry away pathogens
• Mucus membranes: secrete mucus to trap pathogens for removal

Chemical Barriers
• Skin: secretes sweat & sebum that are acidic (acid mantle) discouraging
microbial growth (pH 3-5)
• Saliva: contains lysozyme to help break down bacterial cell wall membranes
• Gastric juices: stomach juices containing HCl (pH 2)
SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE
Works against pathogens (in general)
• Phagocytes: cells that “eat” things

• Neutrophil: White Blood Cells (“WBC”) that likes to consume bacteria;

drawn to wounds; many die fighting bacteria; become part of pus, “pus
cells” make up 40-75% of phagocytes

• Monocytes / macrophages: monocytes become macrophages as needed

• Macrophages: “the big eaters”, “garbage collectors”, or “pac-men”;

immune cells that eat viruses, bacteria, cellular debris from dead cells
Cells using chemicals

• Mast cells: most hang out in connective tissue around blood vessels; WBC’s; found at cuts, injuries &
infections releasing histamine;

• Histamine: causes localized inflammatory response; acute inflammation = redness, swelling, heat, pain, decreased
function

• Causes vasoconstriction
• Clotting process begins for cuts
• Then vasodilation & area becomes red & maybe swollen
• With clotting there is coagulation
• Increases capillary permeability allowing more WBC’s to go to injury site

• Natural killer cells (NK cells)

• Uses chemicals to mostly destroy infected cells; may also destroy some pathogens
• Breaks down cell membranes causing cell to disintegrate
• Also breaks down DNA
• Also attacks cancerous cells as well
SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE (E.G.,
FEVER)
Controlled internal temperature of 101° F or more; helps slow pathogen replication
so the immune system can wipe them out faster

• Massage typically contraindicated systemically because it can increase body

temperature for couple of hours

• This contraindication specifically applies to Swedish Massage, and related

variants, i.e., myofascial release, a.k.a. “deep tissue” massage

• Other techniques are not necessarily contraindicated, may be applied on a

case-by-case basis
FINAL LINE OF DEFENSE: SPECIFIC
IMMUNITY
• Overview:

• Fights the specific antigen (e.g., pathogen)

• Remembers it for the future. Acquired immunity is a form of MEMORY!
• Antigen: anything that stimulates antibody production
• Have certain molecules on their surface (e.g., markers)
• Antibodies have receptors with shapes that are complementary to the
shape of the marker molecules allowing them to “hook” together
• Blood complement helps hold them together
• Clumps pathogens making larger target for macrophages to consume
• Neutralizes viruses by clumping them together preventing them from
entering & infecting cells
• Major Histocompatability (MHC) Proteins: identifies cells via “name tags” as
either “you” (or self) vs. invader (or non-self)
Events that may trigger specific immune response (e.g., example):
• Pathogen (i.e., virus) enters through break in skin

• Histamine released by damaged tissue resulting in vasodilation

• Capillaries become more permeable

• WBC’s leave capillaries & go to wound

• Macrophages
• first cells to encounter pathogen to begin specific response
• consume & digest pathogens
• place a piece of pathogen on its surface with its MHC proteins (e.g., a “trophy”)

• Helper T-cells
• cells ready to begin fighting has a receptor site ready to take on an invader marker shape
binding to macrophage MHC protein & antigen (“trophy”)
• hold onto “trophy” releasing a chemical (interleukin) to stimulate other T-cells & B-cells
• have CD-4 proteins on their surface
• present antigen to B-cells with a receptor site ready to take on the complementary shape, thus
beginning the fight
• Activated T-cells + B-cells clone themselves to create an army to fight the infection

• T-cells & B-cells that are immature are “trained” when they mature to the point that their
receptor sites are ready to take on a shape complementary to an antigen. They are
activated once they take on the complementary shape and can fight the battle.

• T-cells give cell-mediated immunity attacking infected cells

• “Trained” in the thymus gland
• Original activated T-cell clone themselves into:
• More Helper T-cells: Generals of the immune system army coordinating specific
immune response
• Killer T-cells: Cytotoxic T-cells using chemicals to break down infected cells & DNA
• Suppressor T-cells: regulatory T-cells which releases chemicals to slow & stop
specific immune response as you win the infection battle
• Memory T-cells: remembers pathogenic invader for quicker response in the
future
• B-cells give humoral immunity attacking pathogens floating in fluids of the
body before entering cells:
• “Trained” in bone marrow
• Activated when they find a Helper T-cell with an antigen
• Clones become:
• Memory B-cells: remember the specific pathogen for the future
• Plasma cells: produces up to 2000 antibodies/second for 4-5 days
• Antibody: a “Y”-shaped protein with receptor sites on the 2 top
tips to fight 1 specific pathogen
• Plasma cells may also cling to viruses to make a larger target for
macrophages
LYMPHATICS
• Pathways (i.e., vessels)
that the immune system
uses to traverse the body

• Organs, structures &

systems that support
these pathways & the
lymphatic system in
general
COMPROMISED IMMUNITY
If you have disease, disorder and/or dysfunction with any of the following, there may be
compromised immunity or inflammatory response:

• spleen
• lungs
• liver
• gallbladder
• bone marrow
• thymus gland
• lymph nodes
• lymphedema