T-cell activation
A 69-year-old male patient presents to the department of emergency medicine at a local hospital with a fever, cough, and low blood pressure. He had a dual kidney and liver transplant three months ago and was taking a medicine called tacrolimnus, which suppresses cellular immunity (prevents T-cell activation) to prevent organ rejection. He was found to have cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia. The donor of these organs tested positive for this virus but according to his family was not ill before his untimely death in an automobile accident. Discuss the following questions:
1.Why did the transplant recipient get sick from the virus if the organ donor was not ill? What broad category of immunity was suppressed in this transplant patient?
2.Discuss the different branches of the immune system and where the T-cells fit into these branches and also the various types of T-cells and what the function is for each type.
3.One person from each group should respond to this discussion with a link to their group’s recording and a summary of the discussion that took place.
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