Crohn's Disease Investigation

In class we have been covering the different cells involved in the innate response along with the mechanisms that allow it to work as our first line of defense. The innate response is able to do this because the innate response works in minutes/hours verses days. Innate immunity is not highly specific when it comes to killing pathogens instead it kills any pathogen and/or dead/damaged cells through phagocytosis. Phagocytic cells include monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and NK cells. It is during the innate response that inflammation is triggered.
Usually immunological diseases take place in the adaptive response but a few disease arise when the innate response is not functioning correctly. One of these examples is Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which the end of the ilieum and the beginning of the colon are affected. We have harmless bacteria that lives in our guts that aid us in digestion. In a person with Crohn’s disease the innate system confuses this harmless bacteria for harmful pathogens and therefore initiates a response. This response causes inflammation in the intestines, which is the main characteristic of Crohn’s disease. The amount of neutrophils that are called to the site of infection in a patient with Crohn’s disease is diminished, which is also associated with the lower production of interlukin-8 and interlukin-1β. When the intestines are attacked in this way some intestinal content is removed the mucosal barrier is breached which aids to the inflammation. These patients have a weak innate immune system

 
Works Cited:
"Crohn's & Colitis." CCFA: What Is Crohn's Disease. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

"Immunology of Crohn's Disease." Ann NY Acad Sci Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1079.1 Immunology of (2006): n. pag. Web.

Reflection Post

Immunology is one of those subjects that sparks a natural interest in me. When choosing classes for this semester I intentionally chose this course with the hope of learning so much more of the about the immune system. The concept of the human body fighting off diseases with mechanisms that operate without our consent is amazing to me and intrigues me. I believe this course is not only relatable but necessary for my future career goals. As a future health care provider being knowledgeable about the immune system will equip me for research and allow me to think critically when dealing with my patients. I must be able to teach my patients about the immune response and all the different diseases that are caused by a weakened immune system. In the healthcare setting I will be exposed to environments that contain many different pathogens and need to be aware of the potential risks that are associated with such pathogens for my own health. In class we have already had many interesting side discussions over real life scenarios where immunology is able to explain the causes. When I sit in these discussions and actively participate I start to feel like a diagnostic doctor trying to put the pieces together like a puzzle. I have found myself much more interested in regular conversations that involve the immune system, for example this past weekend I was visiting my boyfriend’s family and his friend started a conversation about her husband having an immune disorder in which his body could not make efficient CD4’s, immediately I looked over and had a light bulb turn on in my brain. She was talking about how he has to be careful because small infections can be magnified in his body. I thought to myself “those infections are called opportunistic infections” I listened actively and felt amazing for understanding what they were talking about. This course has actually helped me with Biochemistry as well, especially while we were talking about the antibodies used with the ELISA technique and how this technique successfully diagnoses diseases such as HIV because these antibodies detect specific proteins. I believe I am a hands on learner and like to learn by applying the material to real life situations. I know I have learned the material when I am able to explain it detailed to somebody else. I am excited to continue to learn about immunology and be blown away.  

Blood Work Encounter

I am happy to be part of the immunology class this fall because of the relevance I find in this subject pertaining to my future goals in the medical field. Just the name of the class sparks an interest in me because I know it deals to how our body fights pathogens that can be harmful and cause diseases. I found myself engaged from day one and continue to do so in class especially when we break into real life scenarios where we talk about the immune system in a very real and vivid way. On one occasion we broke out to talk about blood work labs and what the values represent which is where I made the connection to my encounter. At my job I handle patient blood work labs and scan them into our electronic system. When linking them into their electronic chart I have the option to pick an appropriate title for the document, unknowingly I would choose the title CBC W/ Auto Differential. After the discussion in class I learned that the auto differential is specifically talking about the different white blood cells and their relative percentages in the blood. Sure enough after learning this I noticed that majority of the blood work labs from places like Labcorp and Quest diagnostics precisely had all the percentages for all the different white blood cells. I was picking the correct title all along, but it felt great to know for a fact that I was correct in picking so because I had learned what auto differential meant. Now when I handle the labs I can’t help but to analyze them and look at the different white blood cells, thinking in my head of all their functions and what high or low percentages of them reveal. I feel so smart looking at these labs and understanding beyond the numbers. I feel like I’m getting a glimpse of the patient’s immunological state even if I am merely scanning the reports into the system. It has lightened up my once dull scanning routine and has added some immunological flavor to it. This experience excites me for the future and reminds me that one day I will be the one in the room with the patient consulting and explaining their labs to them.
 

Neutrophils Encounter

This week in immunology class we have been learning and studying the different types of cells involved in the immune response, specifically we’ve spent a large amount of time studying the white blood cells in our blood. All of the white blood cells work together to fight foreign pathogens and protect the body from disease and infections. During my reading I encountered a fact about the Neutrophil cells that sparked my interest because of how relatable it was to me at the moment. Neutrophils are known as the first responders because they are the first to arrive at the site of infections in response to inflammatory molecules. Neutrophils are also the most abundant of all the white blood cells that circulate throughout the blood. Interestingly enough I found out that Neutrophils are the main cellular component of pus, which made me cringe a little but at the same time it fascinated me to be able to see my very own neutrophils in a sense. I have a random pimple that arose in the area of my stomach (I know such a weird place). At first the pimple was so red and swollen that even a slight touch would irritate it. As the days went by I noticed that the inflammation went down and know thanks to my knowledge about immunology I know that my neutrophils were recruited to this site of inflammation. Not to mention that I can see them at the tip of what is now a small pimple with a little tip of pus. Pus is usually something we cringe about because it is not necessarily the most appealing sight, but I am thankful for the mechanism that is used to make the pus that we think so lightly of. I am thankful that my neutrophils kicked in and that my pimple’s swelling came down and even more importantly that there was no infection afterwards. This is just one example of where I saw immunology outside of the classroom that was very relatable to me. This caused me to look at a simple pimple with educational interest.