Macrophages are part of the human body's immune system. The purpose of the immune system is to maintain the body's health whether it be from a bacterial infection or foreign bodies introduced into the body such as particulate matter inhaled from polluted air. A deficiency is the body's defenses leaves it vulnerable to infection. The immune system and the macrophages attempt to prevent potential invaders by isolating and destroying them before they can cause widespread damage.
What Are Macrophages?
There are several types of white blood cells, each performing a specific function to maintain health. Macrophages are a specialized white blood cell that can engulf disease-causing micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses. They will also rid the body of damaged cells and waste materials. Macrophages are found throughout the body as one of the first lines of defense. They also serve as regulators of the immune system response, controlling how the body responds through the immune system response.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Several nutrients are essential for the development of cells. Deficiencies may impair the body's ability to maintain the health of macrophages, leading to issues with the body's immune system response. Vitamin E and magnesium, for example, help to maintain the healthy cellular membranes. Other nutrients such as biotin, niacin and vitamin B12 play essential roles in energy production for all cells of the body. Without adequate energy, macrophages cannot function or survive. As a result, immune system function is impaired. Other external factors may cause a macrophage deficiency.
Tuberculosis
Bacterial tuberculosis has the capacity to ward off the defenses of macrophages by exiting these cells and destroying them, explains a 2009 study by the Chungnam National University in Korea. These actions explain how tuberculosis can advance in the body. A 2011 study by the University of Massachusetts Medical School support these findings. Researchers identified the specific biological mechanism to explain how macrophage depletion occurs.
Influenza
Macrophage deficiency may also increase your susceptibility to influenza. A 2011 study by the University of South Carolina looked at the role that macrophages played in susceptibility to influenza virus in experiments done with mice. Researchers found that macrophage depletion played a direct role in survival from virulent strains of influenza, with deficiencies increasing the mortality and symptom severity in mice. The body of evidence suggests that macrophages are essential for good health and for defense against both bacterial and viral infections. Human health is dependent upon the proper functioning of macrophages.
References
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology"; G. Tortora, et al.; 2005
- Science Daily; Macrophages: The 'Defense' Cells That Help Throughout the Body; August 27, 2010
- Colorado State University Extension; Vitamins: Introduction and Index; R. Bowen; August 16, 2003
- PLoS; Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Induces an Atypical Cell Death Mode to Escape from Infected Macrophages; J. Lee, et al.; March 2011
- "Scandanvian Journal of Immunology"; Induction of Cell Death in Human Macrophages... ; H. Sohn, et al.; January 2009
- "Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research";...Role of Macrophages; E. Murphy, et al.; June 2011
