This article is part of the supplement: Practical guide for allergy and immunology in Canada
Review
An introduction to immunology and immunopathology
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* Corresponding author: Richard Warrington RWarrington@exchange.hsc.mb.ca
1 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
2 Dalhousie University, Division of Allergy, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia
3 McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
4 University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
5 Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tor Vergata Clinical Centre, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2011, 7(Suppl 1):S1 doi:10.1186/1710-1492-7-S1-S1
Published: 10 November 2011Abstract
In basic terms, the immune system has two lines of defense: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the first immunological, non-specific (antigen-independent) mechanism for fighting against an intruding pathogen. It is a rapid immune response, occurring within minutes or hours after aggression, that has no immunologic memory. Adaptive immunity, on the other hand, is antigen-dependent and antigen-specific; it has the capacity for memory, which enables the host to mount a more rapid and efficient immune response upon subsequent exposure to the antigen. There is a great deal of synergy between the adaptive immune system and its innate counterpart, and defects in either system can provoke illness or disease, such as autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency disorders and hypersensitivity reactions. This article provides a practical overview of innate and adaptive immunity, and describes how these host defense mechanisms are involved in both health and illness.