Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170, USA.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Feb;125(2 Suppl 2):S3-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2009.12.980.
The immune system has evolved to protect the host from a universe of pathogenic microbes that are themselves constantly evolving. The immune system also helps the host eliminate toxic or allergenic substances that enter through mucosal surfaces. Central to the immune system's ability to mobilize a response to an invading pathogen, toxin, or allergen is its ability to distinguish self from nonself. The host uses both innate and adaptive mechanisms to detect and eliminate pathogenic microbes, and both of these mechanisms include self-nonself discrimination. This overview identifies key mechanisms used by the immune system to respond to invading microbes and other exogenous threats and identifies settings in which disturbed immune function exacerbates tissue injury.
免疫系统经过进化，能够保护宿主免受不断进化的致病微生物的侵害。免疫系统还有助于宿主清除通过黏膜表面进入体内的有毒或变应原物质。免疫系统调动针对入侵病原体、毒素或变应原的反应的能力的核心是其区分自身与非自身的能力。宿主利用先天和适应性机制来检测和消除致病微生物，这两种机制都包括自身-非自身的区分。这篇综述确定了免疫系统用来应对入侵微生物和其他外源性威胁的关键机制，并确定了免疫功能紊乱加剧组织损伤的情况。
