Table 1.
Immune Parameters Reported and Critical Characteristics
| Parameter | Arm of immune system | Function | Cell surface marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell | |||
| Leukocytes | Natural | All white cells | |
| Granulocytes | Natural | Inflammation | |
| Neutrophils | Natural | Inflammation, phagocytosis | |
| Eosinophils | Natural | Inflammation | |
| Monocytes/macrophages | Natural | Inflammation, phagocytosis | |
| Lymphocytes | Specific | All lymphocytes | CD2 |
| T lymphocytes | Specific | Cellular immunity | CD3, CD45RA (naive) |
| T-helper lymphocytes | Specific | Cellular (Th1) or humoral (Th2) immunity | CD4 |
| T-cytotoxic lymphocytes | Specific | Cellular (Th1) immunity | CD8 |
| B lymphocytes | Specific | Humoral (Th2) immunity | CD19, CD20 |
| Activated B lymphocytes | Specific | Humoral (Th2) immunity | CD23, CD30 |
| Natural killer cells | Natural | Cellular (Th1) immunity | CD16, CD56, CD57 |
| Immunoglobulin | |||
| IgA, IgG, IgM | Specific | Humoral (Th2) immunity | |
| Anti-EBV IgG | Specific | Index of EBV replication/activation | |
| Anti-HSV IgG | Specific | Index of HSV replication/activation | |
| Anti-influenza IgG postimmunization | Specific | Humoral (Th2) immunity | |
| Cytokine | |||
| Interleukin-1β | Natural | Inflammation, T cell activation | |
| Interleukin-2 | Specific | T cell activation (Th1) | |
| Interleukin-4 | Specific | B cell activation, antibody production (Th2) | |
| Interleukin-6 | Natural | Inflammation | |
| Interleukin-10 | Specific | Inhibits T cell activation (Th2) | |
| Interferon-γ | Natural and specific | Macrophage, natural killer cell, and T cell activation (Th1) | |
| Tumor necrosis factor-α | Natural | Inflammation | |
| Complement | Natural | Increases effectiveness of natural immunity | C3 |
| Functional assay | |||
| Neutrophil superoxide release | Natural | Inflammation | |
| Natural killer cell cytotoxicity | Natural | Cellular (Th1) immunity | |
| Proliferation to ConA | Specific | Cellular (Th1) immunity (T cell proliferation) | |
| Proliferation to PHA | Specific | Cellular (Th1) immunity (T cell proliferation) | |
| Proliferation to PWM | Specific | Cellular (Th1) and humoral (Th2) immunity (T and B cell proliferation) | |
Note. Th1 = cells that direct a response to intracellular pathogens; Th2 = cells that direct a response to extracellular pathogens; IgA = immunoglobulin A; IgG = immunoglobulin G; IgM = immunoglobulin M; EBV = Epstein-Barr virus; HSV = herpes simplex virus; ConA = concanavalin A; PHA = phytohemagglutinin; PWM = pokeweed mitogen.