Glandular fever (infectiousmononucleosis) is a mild infectious disease most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr (EB) virus, one of the herpes viruses. As with any harmful infection, the body's immune system fights the EB virus infection by activating large numbers of lymphocytes.
Glandular fever occurs most often in young adults but also strikes children and older people. Direct contact between people-kissing, for example - can spread the disease. The chief symptoms include chills, fever, sore throat, and fatigue. The disease is called glandular fever because swelling occurs in the lymphatic glands, especially those in the neck. Symptoms may also include an enlarged spleen, inflamed mouth and gums, skin rash, jaundice, and an enlarged liver. Depending on the seriousness of the case, most doctors recommend mild to complete bed rest for a glandular fever patient. The disease is not fatal, and most patients recover within three to six weeks. Blood tests are used to diagnose glandular fever. In a test used widely for many years, a sample of the patient' s blood is mixed with sheep's blood. If the patient has the disease, the sheep's blood cells stick together. Newer, more sophisticated tests identify glandular fever by detecting specific antibodies believed to be formed in the blood to fight the EB virus. Research Glandular Fever
Leucocytes (white blood cells) are outnumbered by the red blood cells 600 to 1. These cells are spherical in shape and slightly larger than red blood cells. There are five types of leukocytes. Three of the five have a granular appearance. These are the neutrophils, eosinophils, and the basophiles. The other two, the lymphocytes and monocytes, have smooth, non-granular bodies. The main function of the leukocytes is to provide a defence against 'foreign' material (infectious agents, foreign bodies, abnormal proteins). In the presence of a foreign material, basophiles and some lymphocytes release chemicals that cause inflammation, trapping the invader. The other leukocytes then take the foreign material into their own bodies and digest them. This process of digestion is called phagocytosis. The cells that digest microbes are called phagocytes. The most numerous of the phagocytes are the neutrophils.
In addition to neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes, the body has other phagocytes that are not white blood cells. They are classed as reticuloendothelial cells, a type of connective tissue cells. Lymphocytes are the smallest white blood cells and are a part of the immune mechanism. They form antibodies against disease. When microbes invade the body, lymphocytes begin to multiply and they become transformed plasma cells. Each microbe stimulates only one type of lymphocyte to multiply and form one type of plasmacell. The type of plasmacell formed is the type that can make a specific antibody to destroy the particular microbe that has invaded the body. Red bonemarrow continually produces white blood cells, except lymphocytes and monocytes, and keeps a reserve ready in case of need. Lymphocytes and monocytes are produced by lymphatic tissue located in the lymph nodes and spleen. When a parasite or virus invades and begins to colonize, the reserves of white blood cells are released and the manufacturing of large quantities of the appropriate white cells begins. It is this increased production that causes fever.
Because white blood cells are supposedly specific for various illnesses, their count can supposedly assist doctors diagnose patients. However, as has been shown by researchers at Perth, Australia (The Perth Group), white bloodcell counts can also be misleading as many conditions cause very similar counts, leading some researchers to question the emphasis currently placed on white bloodcell counts in diagnosis. Research Leucocytes
Leukocytes (white blood cells) are outnumbered by the red blood cells 600 to 1. These cells are spherical in shape and slightly larger than red blood cells. There are five types of leukocytes. Three of the five have a granular appearance. These are the neutrophils, eosinophils, and the basophils. The other two, the lymphocytes and monocytes, have smooth, non-granular bodies. The main function of the leukocytes is to provide a defense against 'foreign' material (infectious agents, foreign bodies, abnormal proteins). In the presence of a foreign material, basophils and some lymphocytes release chemicals that cause inflammation, trapping the invader. The other leukocytes then take the foreign material into their own bodies and digest them. This process of digestion is called phagocytosis. The cells that digest microbes are called phagocytes. The most numerous of the phagocytes are the neutrophils. In addition to neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes, the body has other phagocytes that are not white blood cells. They are classed as
reticuloendothelial cells, a type of connective tissue cells. Lymphocytes are the smallest white blood cells and are a part of the immune mechanism. They form antibodies against disease. When microbes invade the body, lymphocytes begin to multiply and they become transformed plasma cells. Each microbe stimulates only one type of lymphocyte to multiply and form one type of plasmacell. The type of plasmacell formed is the type that can make a specific antibody to destroy the particular microbe that has invaded the body. Red bonemarrow continually produces white blood cells, except lymphocytes and monocytes, and keeps a reserve ready in case of need. Lymphocytes and monocytes are produced by lymphatic tissue located in the lymph nodes and spleen. When a parasite or virus invades and begins to colonize, the reserves of white blood cells are released and the manufacturing of large quantities of the appropriate white cells begins. It is this increased production that causes fever. Because white blood cells are very specific for various illnesses, their count
can help doctors diagnose patients. However, as has been shown by researchers at perth, Australia (The Perth Group), white bloodcell counts can also be misleading as many conditions cause very similar counts, leading some researchers to question the emphasis currently placed on white bloodcell counts in diagnosis. Research Leukocytes
The lymphatic system consists of lymphatic glands, which occur in different parts of the body and are connected with the lymphatic vessels. The glands are especially numerous in the neck, thorax, abdomen, axillae and groins. They vary in size, and in them are formed the white blood corpuscles or lymphocytes which circulate in the blood. The lymph vessels commuilicating with the glands pass on to other groups of glands and finally unite to form the thoracic duct, which pours its contents into the veins at the base of the neck. The lymphatic glands act as filtering agents and prevent bacteria and other impurities from entering the bloodstream. Research Lymphatic System
Lymphocytes are a type of white bloodcell produced in the lymphoid tissue of the lymphatic system. They are colourless and slightly larger than red blood cells. The number of
lymphocytes in the body remains fairly constant, but may rise or fall under certain conditions.
Lymphocytes are concerned with immunity. They multiply to produce antibodies to neutralize infectious substances such as invading bacteria. There are two main groups, B and T lymphocytes. The B cells are ordinarily concerned with making antibodies, while T cells have a dual role: they control immune mechanisms and fight foreign cells. Research Lymphocytes
Lymph nodes, or lymph glands as they are sometimes called, are small oval structures normally the size of small kidney beans. They generally are located in clusters near veins at strategic points along medium-sized lymph vessels at the knee, elbow, armpit, groin, neck, abdomen and chest. Blood is cleaned and filtered in the lymph nodes, and germ fighting cells gather there during illness. This filtration process prevents bacteria, cancer cells, and other infectious agents from entering the blood and circulating through the system. The lymph nodes are the centers for production and storage of some of the white blood cells, namely the lymphocytes and monocytes, which are important elements of the body's immune mechanism. During any kind of infection, the nodes enlarge in their area of drainage due to the multiplication of lymphocytes in the node. Research Lymph Nodes
The marrow (also called medullary) cavity is the region within the bone which houses the marrow, responsible for generation of blood cells. The marrow in newborns and children is generally red, turning yellow in adults in all bones with the exceptions of upper ends of the humerus and femur and in many of the flat bones of the skull, vertebrae, ribs, sternum, and hip. The red marrow, also known as myeloid tissue, produces all types of blood cells except for lymphocytes and monocytes (which are formed primarily in the lymph nodes and the spleen) . Anemia is a disease in which the myeloid tissue cannot produce sufficient red blood cells (as when the body does not get enough of the mineral iron), with the chief symptom being chronic fatigue. Research Marrow
The human body is continually exposed to disease producing organisms, called pathogens, and other harmful substances in the environment. The immune system is the body's defense against these harmful invaders. The body's ability to counteract the effects of pathogens and other harmful agents is called resistance and it is dependent on a variety of defense mechanisms.
The immune system is made up of billions of special cells called white blood cells, lymphocytes, unique proteins called antibodies, chemicals that mediate immune response, and special organs that replenish and integrate the whole immune process. All of these defense mechanism must act together and are designed to react rapidly to provide protection against disease-producing organisms and their toxins. There are two aspects of the immune system's response to disease: innate and acquired. Natural, or innate, immunity is present from birth and is the first line of defense against the vast majority of infectious agents. Innate immunity involves barriers that keep harmful material from entering the body. The skin provides an impenetrable barrier. The eyes use fluids, such as tears, and the presence of enzymes, such as lysozyme, that destroy bacteria. The respiratory system utilizes cilia, mucus, and coughing to get rid of foreign materials. If infection-causing organisms gets past these defenses, the body produces fever, inflammation, and other reactions designed to conquer the unwelcome invader.
Inflammation causes an increase in the local blood supply so that large numbers of white blood cells can be brought to the area to fight the infection. Some of these white blood cells are phagocytes and macrophages that literally eat the invading microorganism. In most cases of minor infection, these cells solve the problem. If the pathogen succeeds in passing this barrier, a more complex process, involving other cells of the immune system, is necessary. When a virus enters the body an immune response begins automatically. A scavenger macrophage will eat the virus and display the viral antigen on its surface. Anything that can trigger an immune response is called an antigen. An antigen can be a germ such as a virus, or even a part of a virus. Other white blood cells in your body called 'helper T-cells' will see the viral antigen and produce toxins that will destroy it. The helper T- cells then send chemical messages that activate lymphocytes called B-cells which make antibodies that recognize the viral antigen. These cells ' remember' the specific disease organism and divide into many more cells. The resulting 'clone' of identical cells starts producing very large numbers of antibodies that bind to all the organisms of that disease and destroy them. This process is called acquired immunity. It is a learning process of the immune system that develops either through exposure to microorganisms. It is estimated that the body has more than 100 million different kinds of antibodies, each one custom-built to identify a particular pathogen. If the body is exposed a second time, no symptoms occur because the organism is destroyed quickly - the bofy is immune to that particular pathogen. Research The Immune System
The thymus is a twin lobed organ overlaying the heart, and consisting largely of developing lymphocytes. Lymph carries white blood cells to this organ, where they multiply and change into special infection-fighting cells. Although the function of the thymus is not fully understood, it is known that it is an important part in developing immunities against various diseases. Many researchers believe the thymus produces the original lymphocytes formed in the body before birth and continues to produce them after birth. The lymphocytes then travel from the thymus to the lymph nodes and spleen by way of circulation. It is also believed that the thymus forms a hormone essential for immunity. This hormone, known as thymic humoral factor (THF), must be present for a short time after the baby is born, if he is to be able to develop any immunities. Researchers believe that the thymus hormone acts on lymphocytes, causing them to change into plasma cells, which then form antibodies that produce immunities. After puberty, the thymus begins to shrink in size. Its primary role seems to be in the early years of life in the development of immunity. Research Thymus
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Glandular Fever
