IV. A 28 years old man was presented to having fever and fatigue. He had difficu

Question

IV. A 28 years old man was presented to having fever and fatigue. He had difficulty breathing but all bacteriology related work indicated no causative agent. The patient Igs levels were tested and there was a slightly elevated IgE level. The patient showed no allergies to any of the agents in the allergy test.

1. What other test you would do to determine the cause of the illness? Why would you take such a step?

2. Why IgE levels are important in this case? Why IgE is referred to as the only harmful antibody?

3. What does fever mean in general and why is it not looked at as a specific symptom?

4. How could levels of Immunoglobulins assist in determine the type of antigen a person is infected with? Give examples of how levels of Igs can assist to determine the causative agent.

Explanation / Answer

1. A chest X-ray or CT scan is suggested. Difficulty in breathing may result from chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, a bronchoalveolar lavage reveals the levels of eosinophils in the lungs. CEP results from abnormal accumulation of eosinophils in lungs, for unknown reasons.

2. In most cases, difficulty in breathing is associated with allergies. Ig-E antibody is responsible for physiological effect of allergies. Ig-E is referred to as the only harmful antibody since mast cells and basophils (and eosinophlis also) have receptors on their cell surface to this antibody. Immune complexes of IgE antibodies bind to these cells, and release several vasoactive substances and enzymes that can damage own cells or tissues.

3. A fever is the body's response to some sought of disturbance in the physiological activity or its system. The disturbance may be cuased by an external agent or it may rise within the body. Any abnormality is the body shows the symptom of fever, it is a non-specific defense mechanism body used to eliminate a pathogen or to subside the abnormality.

4. The levels of immunoglobins is generally high when a person is suffering from a chronic infection, if the pathogen is a bacteria. A high titre of circulating antibodies indicate pathogen may be present in blood. Presence of high titre of IgM antibody indicate a recent infection, and IgG antibody indicate a chronic infection. High levels of Ig-A antibodies are generally associated with pathogens that are present in mucus linings.

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