Immune disorders – allergy, autoimmunity and HIV/AIDS
BiologyHealth & DiseaseAges 16–17
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Three immune disorders in one simulation. Allergy: a first contact with pollen, dust mites, peanut or bee venom makes IgE that coats mast cells; the next contact releases histamine within minutes, with a graph of symptoms, anaphylaxis, antihistamine and adrenaline. Autoimmunity: T cells destroy beta cells in type 1 diabetes or inflame joints in rheumatoid arthritis over the years. HIV: step through the life cycle in a helper T cell and see where each drug class acts, then follow CD4 count, viral load, AIDS, opportunistic infections and antiretroviral therapy over 12 years.
Lesson: Immune disorders: allergy (type I hypersensitivity), autoimmune diseases and HIV/AIDS
What it shows
The immune system can go wrong in three ways. In allergy it reacts to harmless substances: the first contact makes IgE that binds to mast cells, and later contacts make them release histamine, which widens capillaries and narrows airways; a whole-body reaction is anaphylaxis. In autoimmunity, self-tolerance fails and T cells attack the body’s own cells, such as the beta cells of the pancreas in type 1 diabetes or the joints in rheumatoid arthritis. HIV infects helper T cells, copies itself with reverse transcriptase and, without treatment, causes AIDS after years.
How to use
On Allergy, choose an Allergen and a Treatment and press Expose to allergen twice: compare the first and second contacts in the table. On Autoimmunity, choose the Disease, press Run or move the Time and read the graph. On HIV/AIDS, with View set to Life cycle, choose a Drug and press Next step; on Over the years, tick Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and change ART starts in year.
Parameters you can change
- Screen Allergy, Autoimmunity, HIV/AIDS
- Allergen Grass pollen, House dust mites, Peanut, Bee venom
- Allergy treatment None, Antihistamine, Adrenaline
- Contacts with the allergen already made at the start 0–5
- Autoimmune disease Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis
- Insulin injections after diagnosis (type 1 diabetes)
- Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis None, From year 1, From year 5
- HIV view Life cycle, Over the years
- Drug in the HIV life cycle No drug, Entry inhibitor, Reverse transcriptase inhibitor, Integrase inhibitor, Protease inhibitor, ART (three drugs)
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART)
- ART starts in year 0.5–11 years
Questions to explore
- Why does the first contact with pollen cause no symptoms, but the second one does?
- Why is an antihistamine not enough for anaphylaxis from bee venom?
- What happens to the CD4 count if ART starts in year 2 instead of year 9?
