THE DISEASE PROCESS DISEASE ACCORDING TO DURATION OR ONSET

- In order for a communicable disease organism to establish 1. Acute illness. Usually has a short duration and severe
itself in a human body, conditions must be CONDUCTIVE TO - signs and symptoms appear abruptly, are intense and
ITS GROWTH often subside after a relatively short period
- Body “run down” through - following an acute illness, a person may return to
o lack of sleep normal level of wellness
o improper diet 2. Chronic illness. Slow onset. Persists usually longer than 6
o insufficient exercise months and can also affect functioning in any dimension
o excessive smoking/drinking - Chronically ill person have long term disease process
= body’s level of resistance is greatly INDUCED - Client fluctuate between maximal functioning and
serious relapses that may be life threatening.
- irritated mucous membranes provide excellent sites for 3. Latent illness – inactive
invading organisms - After recovering, organism will be inactive but will stay
- invading organisms needs in the host
o warmth Example: chicken pox, shingles
o darkness BODY DEFENSES
o food immune system –
o avenue of entry into the body system composed of
cells and tissues
TO SURVIVE
responsible of fighting
-once inside the body, infectious organisms undergo activities
organisms/pathogens
which correspond to various STAGES OF THE DISEASE PROCESS
1. Nonspecific
STAGES OF THE DISEASE PROCESS
external barriers
1. Incubation period – no symptoms are seen at this time, but the
2. Innate immune
disease is contagious
response
- once a disease organism is transmitted, it needs time to
3. Adaptive immune
MULTIPLY its numbers in order to overcome the body’s
response
defenses

2. Prodromal period – nonspecific symptoms appear

FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
- most contagious stage of the disease process
Non-specific defenses are designed to prevent infections by viruses
- symptoms are very GENERAL
and bacteria. These include:
• sore throats
• Intact Skin
• fever
• Mucus and Cilia
• headache
• Phagocytes
• general body malaise
ROLE OF SKIN
• Dead skin cells are constantly sloughed off, making it hard
3. Differential period (illness) – occurs when a specific set of
for invading bacteria to colonize.
symptoms which identify the disease appears
- peak of infections • Sweat and oils contain anti-microbial chemicals, including
Example: mumps and measles are both respiratory diseases which some antibiotics.
ROLE OF MUCUS AND CILIA
have the same types of symptoms until the differential stage, when
the victim breaks out with measles or his glands swell with mumps • Mucus contains LYSOZYMES – enzymes that destroy
bacterial cell walls.
4. Decline period – signs and symptoms begin to decline • The normal flow of mucus washes bacteria and viruses off
- Number of pathogen particles begins to decrease of mucus membranes.
• Cilia in the respiratory tract move mucus out of the lungs to
5. Convalescent/recovery period keep bacteria and viruses out.
- when the pendulum swings in favor of body defenses over the ROLE OF PHAGOCYTES
disease organism, the recovery has begun • Phagocytes are several types of white blood cells (including
note: although the body is winning the battle at this time, the macrophages and neutrophils) that seek and destroy
organisms are still present invaders. Some also destroy damaged body cells.
- it would be wise not to jump back into full activity until all the • Phagocytes are attracted by an inflammatory response of
disease organisms are gone, in order to protect the body damaged cells.
against relapse ROLE OF INFLAMMATION
• Inflammation is signaled by mast cells, which release
HISTAMINE.

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 • Histamine causes fluids to collect around an injury to dilute Eosinophil – parasites (helminths/worms), Major Basic Protein (MBP)
toxins. This causes SWELLING. responsible
Lymphocyte – B lymphocyte (humoral immunity) &
• The temperature of the tissues may rise, which can kill
T lymphocyte (cellular immunity)
temperature-sensitive microbes.
• Helper T-cells – regulate immune cells, release cytokines
• Cytotoxic T-cells – destroy infected cells
CARDINAL SIGNS OF INFLAMMATION
English Latin Cause SPECIFIC DEFENSES
Heat Calor Vasodilation Specific defenses are those that give us immunity to certain diseases.
Redness Rubor Vasodilation • In specific defenses, the immune system forms a chemical
Swelling Tumor Increased vascular permeability "MEMORY" of the invading microbe. If the microbe is
Increased granulation tissue encountered again, the body reacts so quickly that few or
Pain Dolor Physical and chemical stimulation of no symptoms are felt.
nociceptors
MAJOR PLAYERS
Loss of Functio Pain
• Macrophage
function laesa Reflex muscle inhibition
Disruption of tissue structure • T cells (helper, cytotoxic, memory)
Fibroplasia and metaplasia • B cells (plasma, memory)
• antibodies
ROLE OF FEVER SOME VOCABULARY
• Fever is a defense mechanism that can destroy many types ANTIBODY: a protein produced by the human immune system to tag
of microbes. and destroy invasive microbes.
• Fever also helps fight viral infections by increasing interferon ANTIBIOTIC: various chemicals produced by certain soil microbes that
production. are toxic to many bacteria. Some we use as medicines.
• While high fevers can be dangerous, some doctors ANTIGEN: any protein that our immune system uses to recognize
recommend letting low fevers run their course without "self" vs. "not self."
taking aspirin or ibuprofen. ANTIBODIES
- Antibodies are assembled out of
protein chains.
- There are many different chains
that the immune system
assembles in different ways to
make different antibodies.

ANTIBODIES AS RECEPTORS
Antibodies can attach to B cells, and serve
to recognize foreign antigens.
1. Tissue damage carries bacteria into wound.
2. Wounded cells release chemicals that stimulate mast cells.
3. Mast cells release histamine.
4. Histamine increases capillary blood flow and permeability.
5. Phagocytes leave capillaries and ingest bacteria and dead cells.

ANTIGENS AS EFFECTORS
Free antibodies can bind to
antigens, which "TAGS" the
antigen for the immune
system to attack and
destroy.

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 ANTIGEN RECOGNITION
• Cells of the immune system are "trained" to recognize "self"
proteins vs. "not self" proteins.
• If an antigen ("not self") protein is encountered by a
macrophage, it will bring the protein to a helper T-cell for
identification.
• If the HELPER T-CELL recognizes the protein as "not self", it will
launch an immune response.
Antibody Recognition
- Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP), microbial
pattern present in the microbes
HELPER T CELLS
• Helper T-cells have receptors for recognizing antigens. If they
are presented with an antigen, they release cytokines to
stimulate B-cell division.
• The helper T-cell is the key cell to signal an immune response.
If helper T-cells are disabled, as they are in people with AIDS,
the immune system will not respond.
Natural Killer cells – innate cells, no presence of a T-cell receptor
(TCR) on their cell surface.
B CELLS
• B-cells in general PRODUCE ANTIBODIES.
• Those with antibodies that bind with the invader's antigen are
stimulated to reproduce rapidly.
• B-cells differentiate into either PLASMA CELLS or MEMORY B-
CELLS.
Plasma Cells → rapidly produce antibodies.
Memory Cells→ retain the "memory" of the invader and
remain ready to divide rapidly if an invasion occurs again.
ROLE OF ANTIBODIES
• Antibodies released into the blood stream will BIND to the
antigens that they are specific for.
• ANTIBODIES may disable some microbes, or cause them to
stick together (agglutinate). They "tag" microbes so that
the microbes are quickly recognized by various white
blood cells.
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"KILLER" T CELLS
• While B-cells divide and differentiate, so do T-cells.
• Some T-cells become CYTOTOXIC, or "KILLER" T-CELLS.
These T-cells seek out and destroy any antigens in the
system, and destroy microbes "tagged" by antibodies.
• Some cytotoxic T-cells can recognize and destroy cancer
cells.
CALLING A HALT
• When the invader is destroyed, the helper T- cell calls a halt
to the immune response.
• Memory T-cells are formed, which can quickly divide and
produce cytotoxic T-cells to quickly fight off the invader if
it is encountered again in the future.
IMMUNITY
• A resistance by the body to a specific disease organism
• It is the most effective protective measure against diseases
because the presence of antibodies will protect them from
contracting a disease.
TYPES OF IMMUNITY
INNATE – within the host immune system
ACQUIRED – immunity that develops during your lifetime
• Active (Natural or Artificial)
• Passive (Natural or Artificial)
NATURAL ACTIVE
• Occurs when the disease itself is contracted and the body is
stimulated to produce its own antibodies.
• Mumps, chickenpox, or measles: almost always offers a
lifelong immunity
need exposure with the disease
NATURAL PASSIVE
• Occurs when antibodies from a mother pass through fetal
membranes/placenta into a fetus, providing the newborn
protection from childhood diseases for a few months (3-6)
after delivery.
• Because the fetus itself does not produce antibodies,
immunity lasts only as long as antibodies are found in the
newborn's body.
- mother to fetus through trans placental passing
- no immune response to antigen
ARTIFICIAL ACTIVE SUMMARY
• OCCURS IN THE FORM OF VACCINES, where a small number
of the actual disease-causing organisms or their products Disease process
are introduced into the body in order to stimulate the body • Incubation period
to begin producing its own protective antibodies.
• Prodromal period
• Examples of this type of immunity are the smallpox, polio, • Differential period
or measles vaccines which offer lifelong immunity.
• Decline period
ARTIFICIAL PASSIVE
• Convalescent/recovery period
• Occurs when antibodies grown in an animal or human are
injected directly into a person.
Disease according to duration or onset
• This immunity is only temporary as the recipient of the
• Acute illness
antibody does not produce any of her own.
• Chronic illness
• An example of this type of immunity is that obtained from
• Latent illness
tetanus antitoxin injection taken from a horse.
Example: hepatitis b vaccine
Body Defenses
collected with a blood sample then artificially prepared, used to
inject to other person so that the individual will have that
antibody to stimulate immune response

Adaptive body defenses

• Humoral immunity – B lymphocytes
▪ Plasma cells
▪ Memory cells
• Cell-mediated immunity – T lymphocytes
▪ Cytotoxic “killer” t cells
▪ Helper T cells

Major players
• Macrophage
• T cells (helper, cytotoxic, memory)
• B cells (plasma, memory)
• Antibodies

TYPES OF IMMUNITY
1. INNATE
2. ACQUIRED
• Natural Active
• Artificial Active
• Natural Passive
• Artificial Passive

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