Presentation of Lymphatic and Immune Systems

Cassandra FoxJune 23, 2010

Chapter 6

Lymphatic and Immune Systems

• The lymphatic system is made up of lymphatic vessels, lymphatic nodes, the spleen, tonsils and the thymus gland.

• The Immune system is our bodies first line of defense against disease.

• Together with the Hematic system they protect the body by locating and killing our own diseased cells, invading pathogens and harmful substances.

Diseases of the Lymphatic and Immune system

• Elephantiasis• Human immunodeficiency virus HIV• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS• Kaposi’s sarcoma

Elephantiasis

• Elephantiasis is a parasitic disease that causes severe inflammation, by obstruction of lymph flow.

• It is mostly contracted by Mosquito's. They carry the worm which enters your body once the mosquito bites you and ends up in the lymph vessels.

• A less common form of elephantiasis is caused by the streptococcus bacterium.

• There are three options for treatment Pneumatic pumps, Surgery of some kind or Complete Decongestive Physiotherapy.

• This disease is only curable in its early stage. Once the limb becomes permanently enlarged, there is no cure.

Human immunodeficiency virus HIV

• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. • HIV progressively destroys your body's ability to fight infections

and certain cancers. • Symptoms of HIV usually is an acute illness with nonspecific or

flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes.

• HIV infects immune cells called CD4 T-cells and slowly begins to decrease their numbers.

• The infected person’s immune system responds to the acute HIV infection by producing antibodies against the virus. In most people, the initial symptoms go away after a short time period.

• Even when the antibodies seem to be working and the person feels better, the virus is still destroying their CD4-T cells and will eventually compromise their immune system.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS

• AIDS is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV. HIV damages the immune system by attacking lymphocytes.

• Once the lymphocytes are destroyed, the body is less protected from viruses, it can’t fight infections and becomes vulnerable.

• AIDS is passed from person to person through contact with blood or bodily fluids.• Due to the weakening of the immune system in AIDS can lead to unusual cancers

like Kaposi’s sarcoma.• There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS. There are only medications to help slow its

progression and help prevent or cure some of the illnesses that come with AIDS. • Medications that fight HIV are called anti-retroviral medications. Highly active

anti-retroviral therapy HAART is a treatment that must be continued for life. It is not a cure.

•

Images of HIV and AIDS

Types of Kaposi sarcoma

• Epidemic (AIDS-related) Kaposi sarcoma develops in people who are infected with HIV.

• Classic (Mediterranean) Kaposi sarcoma occurs in elderly people of Mediterranean, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern heritage.

• Endemic (African) Kaposi sarcoma occurs in people living in Equatorial Africa and is sometimes called African KS.

• Iatrogenic (transplant-associated) Kaposi sarcoma develops in people whose immune systems have been suppressed after an organ transplant.

Kaposi sarcoma

• Kaposi's sarcoma is a form of skin cancer that causes lesions of abnormal tissue to grow that metastasize to internal organs.

• KS can cause different problems depending on the area it infects. KS in the digestive tract, can cause bleeding, while tumors in the lungs may cause difficulty breathing.

• Radiation treatment is used to help lesions that are painful, bleed, cosmetically disturbing, largely infect the mouth, protrude through the skin or block lymphatic's.

• There are no symptoms to detect KS in its early stages. Once it has reached the epidemic form it may be the first sign of AIDS.

References

• http://www.internalawareness.com/why_water/lymph.html

• http://www.soulhealer.com/anatomy-imm.htm

• http://www.healthcaremagic.com/articles/Elephantitis-Lymphatic-Filariasis-elephantiasis-/2516

• http://www.medicinenet.com/acquired_immunodeficiency_syndrome_aids/article.htm#causes

• http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/297/main.html