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The Basics of Immunology


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This is a place to start understanding the basics of the immune system in order to better know what the immune response is to certain nutrients, drugs, stimuli and influences on and in our bodies.

 

Many of us find we have inflammation and various side effects as a result of ingestion and/or withdrawal from benzodiazepines. You can find numerous threads on these topics throughout the forum.

 

The inspiration for this thread is partially due to the http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=184940.960 “Can anyone make sense and explain this to a layperson?” thread on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of benzodiazepines.

 

This thread is for educational purposes and is not being created to make any kind of statement about benzodiazepines themselves.

 

All are welcome who wish to learn, comment and contribute. It may not be perfect, but it’s a start :)

 

Immunology 101: The Basics of Immunology and introduction to our patient

 

 

Sept 5, 2013 Katherine Gundling, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Immunology at UCSF

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This is a place to start understanding the basics of the immune system in order to better know what the immune response is to certain nutrients, drugs, stimuli and influences on and in our bodies.

 

Many of us find we have inflammation and various side effects as a result of ingestion and/or withdrawal from benzodiazepines. You can find numerous threads on these topics throughout the forum.

 

The inspiration for this thread is partially due to the http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=184940.960 “Can anyone make sense and explain this to a layperson?” thread on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of benzodiazepines.

 

This thread is for educational purposes and is not being created to make any kind of statement about benzodiazepines themselves.

 

All are welcome who wish to learn, comment and contribute. It may not be perfect, but it’s a start :)

 

Immunology 101: The Basics of Immunology and introduction to our patient

 

 

Sept 5, 2013 Katherine Gundling, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Immunology at UCSF

 

Thanks so much for posting this.  Such a great video.  Prof. Gundling is such an incredibly articulate teacher.  Certain cytokines actually function as potent neuromodulators.    They are one of the many mechanisms available to maintain homeostasis.

 

Thanks again.

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Yes, thanks very much, mon pilote! I really liked what the professor said about having patients explain their symptoms, that she remembered that above all else. I think that's very important and was glad she added that to her lecture.

 

Although I'm certainly not of a scientific bent, she made it much easier to understand the fascinating roles in the body and how they all work together.

 

Makes me think that it becomes a house of cards, though, in the delicately-entwined system when the benzos come along, hastening the domino effect...

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Yes, thanks very much, mon pilote! I really liked what the professor said about having patients explain their symptoms, that she remembered that above all else. I think that's very important and was glad she added that to her lecture.

 

Although I'm certainly not of a scientific bent, she made it much easier to understand the fascinating roles in the body and how they all work together.

 

Makes me think that it becomes a house of cards, though, in the delicately-entwined system when the benzos come along, hastening the domino effect...

 

Very well said.  Once a pillar is destabilized, it can affect the other pillars and this can further aggravate dysfunction in the component systems (Ie, the CNS function).

 

It’s very odd when one thinks about the immune system affecting the CNS.

 

 

 

Here’s a bunch of links on the immune system and Benzodiazaphines that were posted in the layman’s thread quite a while ago.    I did not compile the links, but someone posted them into the thread.  I’m sure there are many more such links

 

=====================

 

By the way, azalea32 posted this on the Chewing the Fat site:

 

Looking through some of the articles they cited now.

 

Pancytopenia associated with clonazepam

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2915945/?report=reader

 

Genotoxicity and carcinogenicity studies of benzodiazepines

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661807001582?via%3Dihub

 

Suppressive effects of alprazolam on the immune response of mice.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2071299/

 

Assessment of single-dose benzodiazepines on insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC387833/?report=reader

 

Stress, neuropsychiatric disorders and immunological effects exerted by benzodiazepines.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9653667/

 

Identification of a 17-kDa protein associated with the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor in vascular and other smooth muscle types.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1650838/

 

Effects of different doses and schedules of diazepam treatment on lymphocyte parameters in rats.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20846531/

 

Cytogenetic activity of newly synthesized 1,5-benzodiazepines in normal human lymphocyte cultures.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20373848/

 

Effects of alprazolam on T-cell immunosuppressive response to surgical stress in mice.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1649692/

 

Enigma of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10581326/

 

Genetic toxicology of four commonly used benzodiazepines: a review.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/8692185/

 

Diazepam leads to enhanced severity of orthopoxvirus infection and immune suppression.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20659521/

 

Immunomodulating effects of tofizopam (Grandaxin) and diazepam in vitro.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1781640/

 

Calcium channel blockers, apoptosis and cancer: is there a biologic relationship?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10588195/

 

Effects of midazolam on equine innate immune response: a flow cytometric study.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12969632/

 

Effects of diazepam on Mycobacterium bovis-induced infection in hamsters.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10464392/

 

Alprazolam intercalates into DNA.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19108581/

 

Prenatal diazepam induced persisting depression of cellular immune responses.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2538699/

 

Impaired host resistance to Trichinella spiralis as a consequence of prenatal treatment of rats with diazepam.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/7801325/

 

The effect of chronic diazepam administration on lipid peroxidation and Ca2+ -ATPase activity in rat liver.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18277470/

 

Benzodiazepine receptor agonists modulate thymocyte apoptosis through reduction of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10202853/

 

 

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor associate at the mitochondrial membrane.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/11145616/

 

 

Thought you might like to read them if you haven't already done so. Important reading.

 

=======================

 

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Glad you all are interested, me too. I find biology intriguing. I should just come out and make it clear that I am azalea32. It was a mistake, lost my password so this is my only account now :)
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Glad you all are interested, me too. I find biology intriguing. I should just come out and make it clear that I am azalea32. It was a mistake, lost my password so this is my only account now :)

 

It’s great that you started the thread.....

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Wound-healing and benzodiazepines: does sleep play a role in this relationship?

 

Abstract

Patients who have suffered burns frequently experience psychological consequences, among which anxiety disorders are prominent. Benzodiazepines are commonly administered to treat these symptoms. The effects of benzodiazepines on healing may not be direct but rather are modulated by alterations of the sleep architecture. This hypothesis is supported by studies that demonstrate the effects of benzodiazepines on the immune system and the inflammatory profile under both normal sleep conditions and during sleep deprivation, particularly rapid eye movement sleep deprivation.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3400176/

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I have a question regarding specific benzos, their dominant effect on specific GABA-A Receptors, and their effect on physical/mental functions.

 

The most frequently prescribed benzos in the U.S. are Xanax, Klonopin, Valium and Ativan.

 

I am asking because some benzo victims seem to suffer more from certain symptoms like skeletal/muscle dysfunction, altered cognition, depression, anxiety, etc. than others.

 

Is there a short explanation and identified relationship between the most frequently prescribed benzos listed above, the GABA-A Receptors most targeted by those benzos, and the most frequently identified symptoms of benzo use and withdrawal? 

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Wound-healing and benzodiazepines: does sleep play a role in this relationship?

 

Abstract

Patients who have suffered burns frequently experience psychological consequences, among which anxiety disorders are prominent. Benzodiazepines are commonly administered to treat these symptoms. The effects of benzodiazepines on healing may not be direct but rather are modulated by alterations of the sleep architecture. This hypothesis is supported by studies that demonstrate the effects of benzodiazepines on the immune system and the inflammatory profile under both normal sleep conditions and during sleep deprivation, particularly rapid eye movement sleep deprivation.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3400176/

 

This is a great point.  The immune system, sleep, stress and inflammatory cytokine levels are all tightly coupled.  They create feedback loops between one another that can aggravate protracted illnesses..  The poor sleep in CFS, for example, alters stress hormone levels (many of which are catabolic), and alters immune cytokine levels that increase systemic inflammation. As you know chronic systemic inflammation is at the heart of many common secondary illnesses.

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  • 4 months later...

This is a place to start understanding the basics of the immune system in order to better know what the immune response is to certain nutrients, drugs, stimuli and influences on and in our bodies.

 

Many of us find we have inflammation and various side effects as a result of ingestion and/or withdrawal from benzodiazepines. You can find numerous threads on these topics throughout the forum.

 

The inspiration for this thread is partially due to the http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=184940.960 “Can anyone make sense and explain this to a layperson?” thread on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of benzodiazepines.

 

This thread is for educational purposes and is not being created to make any kind of statement about benzodiazepines themselves.

 

All are welcome who wish to learn, comment and contribute. It may not be perfect, but it’s a start :)

 

Immunology 101: The Basics of Immunology and introduction to our patient

 

 

Sept 5, 2013 Katherine Gundling, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Immunology at UCSF

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