Trying to learn how different blood cells defend against parasites for a story I’m writing and I’m having trouble finding simple explanations for them. I don’t know a lot about terminology used for different types. Particularly I’m looking for stuff based on eosinophils since I’ve heard they have a hand in it. Regardless anything helps thank you. Thank you.
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“In the 1970s, eosinophils were shown to be capable of killing helminth larvae in vitro when combined with specific antibodies or complement, a form of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a process where immune effector cells kill target cells coated by specific antibodies. These findings engendered a dogma that the role of eosinophils is to protect the host against parasitic worms.”
Huang, L., & Appleton, J.A. (2016). Eosinophils in Helminth Infection: Defenders and Dupes. Trends in parasitology, 32(10), 798–807.
Antibodies are proteins that float around in the blood until they find a specific antigen they can stick to. Infectious agents, such as parasitic invaders, become coated in these antibodies, which mark them for destruction by white blood cells. Eosinophils are phagocytic, meaning that they “eat” substances marked by antibodies. They then produce toxic compounds and cytotoxic enzymes (proteins that are harmful to cells) to destroy the infectious agents. Eosinophils are also involved in the inflammatory response, especially in regards to allergic reactions. Eosinophil levels may be higher in the presence of inflammation not related to parasitic infection.
White blood cells are an important part of the immune system. They help the body to fight off infections by bacteria and viruses. There are different types of white blood cells, each with a different role.
One type of white blood cell is the neutrophil. Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell. They help to protect the body against bacteria and other foreign invaders.
Another type of white blood cell is the lymphocyte. Lymphocytes help to fight off viruses and other infections. They also help to make antibodies, which are proteins that fight off infections.
The last type of white blood cell is the monocyte. Monocytes help to remove dead and damaged cells from the body. They also help to fight off infections.
Parasites are too big to be taken up by our cells. So the first thing that need to happen is that the parasite needs to be destoyed. Our immune system does this mostly by poking holes in the cell membrane of the parasite. This is done by the eosinophiles themselves and the complement system. It’s pretty neat, the enzymes from the eosinophiles will disrupt the bounds between lipids within the cell membrane of the parasite, causing it to dissintegrate. The complement system organizes it’s components so that it will make little tunnels in the membrane, water can now flow into the parasite and it will burst like an overly inflated balloon. Poof.
After the parasite is destroyed it will fall apart and the debris is ‘eaten’ up by macrophages (and also the eosinophiles themselves I think).
Low-key if you watch the anime Cells At Work you’ll learn a ton about the human body’s immune system while also being entertained by its goofy characters. They explain it really well also.
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