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Thermoregulation as a disease tolerance defense strategy
Alexandria M Palaferri Schieber1, Janelle S Ayres2
1The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, San DIego CA, USA.
Pathogens and Disease
|November 6, 2016
Summary
Thermoregulation during infection, like fever, isn't just about fighting microbes or being a harmful side effect. This review explores how disease tolerance explains these physiological changes, impacting tissue damage and host behavior.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Physiological responses to infection are traditionally viewed as microbial destruction or detrimental host-pathogen interactions.
- Thermoregulation (fever/hypothermia) during infection challenges these traditional paradigms.
- Existing models inadequately explain the cellular and organ-level consequences of thermoregulatory responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate thermoregulation during infection, inflammation, and trauma through the lens of disease tolerance.
- To discuss the physiological consequences of thermoregulation beyond direct microbial killing.
- To explore how thermoregulation influences tissue damage, inflammation, behavior, and toxin neutralization.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on physiological responses to infection and disease tolerance.
- Application of the disease tolerance concept to thermoregulation.
- Analysis of cellular and organ-level consequences of thermoregulatory changes.
Main Results:
- Thermoregulation during disease is not solely explained by resistance mechanisms or maladaptive consequences.
- Disease tolerance offers a framework to understand physiological changes like fever and hypothermia.
- Thermoregulation impacts tissue susceptibility, inflammation, host behavior, and the efficacy of toxin neutralization.
Conclusions:
- Thermoregulation represents a crucial aspect of disease tolerance, not just a direct antimicrobial action or a negative outcome.
- Understanding thermoregulation within disease tolerance paradigms is essential for comprehending host-pathogen interactions.
- This perspective may reveal new therapeutic strategies targeting host responses rather than pathogens directly.
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