Word: immunoglobulins
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...trial involving more than 100 college students in 1999 found that the levels of immunoglobulin, a microbe-fighting antibody, in students who engaged in intercourse once or twice a week were 30% higher than in those who were abstinent. Curiously, those who had sex more than twice a week had the same levels as those who were celibate. Could there be an optimal rate of sexual frequency for keeping the body's defenses strong...
Enter a molecule with the ungainly name of immunoglobulin E, or IgE. One of many biological compounds produced by the body's immune system, IgE apparently evolved to help our ancestors fight off parasitic worms. These days, however, parasitic worms aren't so common--especially in urban areas--and IgE has become something of a nuisance. The higher the level of IgE in your body, the more likely you are to develop allergic reactions to otherwise harmless stuff, like peanuts. IgE-triggered allergies also seem to play a role in certain cases of asthma. Over the past decade, researchers have...
...STRESS? Stress may not always be the killer it's cracked up to be. Researchers find that deadlines, public speaking and other stressful challenges can--when they are met and conquered--trigger the production of immunoglobulins, a type of protein that strengthens the immune system. On the other hand, stress you can't do anything about, like the anxiety caused by continual replays of the World Trade Center attack, diminishes immunoglobulin production and weakens the immune system...
...same species, the fertilization process begins. But when the grain lodges in the mucous membrane of a person susceptible to allergies, its protein message is heeded by the human immune system, which confuses it with a menacing invader. Alarmed, the system immediately begins churning out legions of IgE (for immunoglobulin E) antibodies, stationing them on "mast cells," which patrol the body's tissues...
...success rate is great, | around 90%." For dust mites, mold and animal dander, the results are more variable. But why the shots do -- and sometimes don't -- work remains a mystery. Medical researchers know, for instance, that administering the allergens directly into the bloodstream results in the production of immunoglobulin G, rather than IgE, antibodies. Does the presence of IgG block the IgE response? Or does the hair-of-the-dog procedure eventually desensitize key cells in the immune system to the offending allergen? No one knows...