The immune system

The most important function of the human immune system (to occur) _____________ at the cellular level of the blood and tissues. The lymphatic and blood circulation systems (to be) __________ highways for specialized white blood cells to travel around the body. White blood cells (to include) ____________ B cells, T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages. Each group (to have) ________ a different responsibility, but all the cells (to function) _____________. They (to recognize) ___________, (to attack) ______________ and (to destroy) ________________ bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and all substances seen as foreign.

There (to be) _______ many disorders of the human immune system, e.g. AIDS (to be) ____"Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome", an infectious disease caused by the HIV virus, type I diabetes (sometimes called "juvenile onset diabetes"), multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Many factors can also (to contribute) ______________ to the general weakening of the immune system:

• Malnutrition (unbalanced diet / poor eating habits that(to cause) __________ a lack of vitamins and minerals)
• Alcohol abuse
• Drug abuse either intravenous or other.
• Medications (particularly the use of anti-cancer drugs, corticosteroids, and antibiotics);
• Radiation
• Exposure to certain environmental toxins (e.g. cigarette smoke)
• Stress/Depression - Research shows that psychological stress can greatly (to increase) ___________ your susceptibility to colds and other viral diseases
• Age - Ability of the immune system to respond (to decrease) ______________ at early and old age.
• Decreased ability to heal due to disease or medications (i.e. Diabetes, corticosteroids, immune suppressant drugs)
• Inadequate sleep
• Lack of exercise as well as excessive exercise resulting in physiological stress
• Diseases either infectious or other causing more depression on the immune system like:
• Cancer, and hematological malignancy (such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma) in particular.
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Viral infections i.e. viral respiratory infections
• HIV
• Ulcerative colitis
• Liver disease / cirrhosis

Autoimmunity (to be) ____ the failure of an organism to recognise its own constituent parts. Autoimmunity (to result) ______________ in an immune response against its own cells and tissues. Any disease that (to result) ____________ from such an aberrant [ae’berent] (abnormal) immune response (to term) __________ an autoimmune disease. The prominent examples (to be) ______ Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). It (to establish) ____________________ now well that certain individuals (to be) ______ genetically susceptible to the development of autoimmune diseases.

Sex also (to seem) ______ to have a major role in the development of autoimmunity; most of the known autoimmune diseases (to tend) ___________ to show a female preponderance [pri’ponderens]. Slight exchange of cells between mothers and their children during pregnancy may (to induce) _________ autoimmunity. Certain chemical agents and drugs can also (to associate) _______________with the genesis [‘dzenisis] of autoimmune conditions.

Autoimmune diseases can (to divide) ______________ broadly into systemic and organ-specific or localised autoimmune disorders. This classification (to depend) ________________ on the principal clinico-pathologic features of each disease.

• Systemic syndromes (to include) ____________ Sjögren's syndrome, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis and polymyositis.
• Local syndromes may (to be) ________ endocrinologic (diabetes, dermatologic, haematologic (autoimmune haemolytic anaemia), neural (multiple sclerosis).

Diagnosis of autoimmune disorders largely (to rest) __________ on accurate history, physical examination of the patient, routine laboratory tests (example, elevated C-reactive protein), serological assays [e’seiz] which can (to detect) ____________ specific autoantibodies. Localised disorders (to diagnose) ____________ best by immunofluorescence of biopsy specimens [‘spesiminz].

Autoimmune diseases can (to divide) ______________ broadly into systemic and organ-specific or localised autoimmune disorders. This classification (to depend) ________________ on the principal clinico-pathologic features of each disease.

• Systemic syndromes (to include) ____________ Sjögren's syndrome, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis and polymyositis.
• Local syndromes may (to be) ________ endocrinologic (diabetes, dermatologic, haematologic (autoimmune haemolytic anaemia), neural (multiple sclerosis).

Diagnosis of autoimmune disorders largely (to rest) __________ on accurate history, physical examination of the patient, routine laboratory tests (example, elevated C-reactive protein), serological assays [e’seiz] which can (to detect) ____________ specific autoantibodies. Localised disorders (to diagnose) ____________ best by immunofluorescence of biopsy OF SPECIMEN.