Cell size and immune response?

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Kumar - 01 Oct 2007 12:39 GMT

Hello,

How can we relate enlarged (Hypertrophy)-- swollen or increase in size
due to infected agents or due to hypertonicity AND smaller
(hypotrophy)--shirinked, hypotonic or otherwise, can be realed to
abnormal immune response?

I mean, whether abnormal cell sizes can be related to abnormal immune
responses?

Will it be difficult to phagocyte an enlarged cells and easy to
shrinked cell? I think, one defence mechanism by immune cells is that
theu tear off cell membrane(?).

Best wishes.

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Bryan Heit - 01 Oct 2007 15:49 GMT

> Hello,
>
> How can we relate enlarged (Hypertrophy)-- swollen or increase in size
> due to infected agents or due to hypertonicity AND smaller
> (hypotrophy)--shirinked, hypotonic or otherwise, can be realed to
> abnormal immune response?

Not really. In fact, swelling of tissues due to fluid influx is an
important part of immune responses, and makes up part of the cardinal
signs of inflammation - tumor, rubor calor, dolar (no guarantees as to
the spelling - translates to swelling, redness, heat and pain respectively).

> I mean, whether abnormal cell sizes can be related to abnormal immune
> responses?

Potentially. Swelling cells can lyse, which releases intracellualr
proteins. These can both act as a "danger" signal to the immune system,
thus initiating an immune response. If you are unlucky those same
proteins can also be identified by the immune system, resulting in
autoimmunity.

In addition, cells which are stressed will release factors that induce
immune responses. Basically they send out chemical signals which say
"hey, I'm not healthy, you [immune system] should come buy and see if
anything bad is going on".

> Will it be difficult to phagocyte an enlarged cells and easy to
> shrinked cell?

Not necessarily. Phagocytes rarely consume entire cells, and rather
tend to consume pieces of cells. Both swollen, shrunken, and
normal-sized human cells would normally be too large for phagocytes to
take up in one piece.

> I think, one defence mechanism by immune cells is that
> theu tear off cell membrane(?).

No. But some immune cells to release proteins which destroy membrane
integrity. The mechanisms are complex, but in simple terms these
proteins make holes in the membrane.

Bryan

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Kumar - 02 Oct 2007 05:33 GMT

> > Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> signs of inflammation - tumor, rubor calor, dolar (no guarantees as to
> the spelling - translates to swelling, redness, heat and pain respectively).

Can such swelling cause cell swelling? If yes, can these swelled cells
be an initiation to invite immune cells?

> > I mean, whether abnormal cell sizes can be related to abnormal immune
> > responses?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> proteins can also be identified by the immune system, resulting in
> autoimmunity.

Is it difficult for immune cells to handle swelled/enlarged cells and
easy for shirinked cells? On any latent/intracellular infection
virus(AIDS) or bacterial (TB), internal tonicity of cells can be
increased due to added componets of these resulting cells enlargemnts
and swelling.

> In addition, cells which are stressed will release factors that induce
> immune responses. Basically they send out chemical signals which say
> "hey, I'm not healthy, you [immune system] should come buy and see if
> anything bad is going on".

These can be some other mechanism, but I feel bit uncomfortable by
considering, any live being can invite his killing/death, normally.

> > Will it be difficult to phagocyte an enlarged cells and easy to
> > shrinked cell?
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> normal-sized human cells would normally be too large for phagocytes to
> take up in one piece.

Thanks. Can we think that in any way, it is harder or easier for
immune cells to handle enlarged or shirinked cells?

> > I think, one defence mechanism by immune cells is that
> > theu tear off cell membrane(?).
>
> No. But some immune cells to release proteins which destroy membrane
> integrity. The mechanisms are complex, but in simple terms these
> proteins make holes in the membrane.

Is it killing of cells by taking away their water? Does it happen in
liver?

Whether defected cells can be separated from their growing tissues and
wonder in circulation, reach to liver, where they are destroyed?

> Bryan

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