Thanks very much sir for stopping by to read my blog.
I really love the question you presented here.
I will take your questions one after other ok.
This is something genetically baked into a person's immune system?
There has been no scientific theory that prove this Cytotoxic T-cells can be passed down genetically. (I only know of the ones that can cross the placenta barrier during pregnancy and pass from mother to child). But the truth about this matter is that many health advantages and disadvantages many people have today runs from family history, lifestyles and their nutrition
This Cytotoxic T-cells, start developing after birth (it's present by defaults from birth), but the advantage (stronger defense) seen in most people, can be from their nutrition, lifestyles and also from family history.
(It's the CCR5 delta 32 mutation in the CD4 cells, that's only proven to be inherited from the parents).
Is it enhanced by lifestyle, or other epigenetic influences?
Yeah, lifestyles has more to do with the body immunity, do you know that mad people has a very strong immune system ??. There long periods of exposures to many dirty environment forces their body to produce antibodies that will fight against many of the diseases they're contracting in the environment.
Also the same thing apply to many other people who work or are routinely exposed to some diseases (like people working in Laboratories, where they're exposed to some aerosols, (that's why they usually wear nose mask), the exposure to this aerosols from contaminated samples over time may trigger their body system to produce antibodies against this antigens the have contracted through this aerosols) because this diseases (antigens) in the aerosols are of a very little quantity, they may not be able to trigger or cause any diseases, but the body can recognize it as an antigen and produce a specific antibody to that particular diseases. This is usually associated with the functions of the B-lymphocytes (it has a memory cells that has the tendency of recognizing and attacking this diseases on any subsequent exposures/infection).
So you can see that our lifestyles has much to do with the body immune system.
Does this high leve of cytotoxic T-cells increase the incidence of autoimmune disease.
Remember I made mention of the different T-cells we have in the body.
Each of them complement the action of each other, but HIV have a receptor on the CD4 cells only (which is the CCR5 co-receptor), on the effective actions of other ones they tend to stop the entry and attachment of the viral particles of the HIV virus to the CD4 cells.
Note also that I made mention of the suppressor cell, which is the Regulatory T-cell, which differentiate between the body cells and the antigenic cells and present it to the CD4 and CD8 cells, where the Signals comes from the T-helper cells.(cytokine is always and almost involved in all this processes).
So on the case of Auto-immune diseases, as you asked, the high level of this Cytotoxic cells can't cause it, it's only the dysfunctional activities of this cell that can cause it. (Things like bone marrow diseases, sickle cell anaemia, old age, cancer, like leukemia and chemotherapy can cause Auto-immune diseases)
Thanks for your nice words...
I hope I answered your questions to your satisfaction.
Thank you for such a detailed answer.
I have to look into this. That is fascinating. Also fascinating that people working in laboratories actually, in a way, may be immunizing themselves (almost like variolation) against pathogens.
You certainly do know a lot. Respect :)
Thanks for coming back again Sir.
I will love if you share your findings with us here #stemsocial.
You know learning never ends.
I really appreciate (I saw the $hive you sent me)