Whats This mean in English?

Question

Im No science expert but what does this mean, Good or bad?

G551D CF mice display an abnormal host response and have impaired clearance of Pseudomonas lung disease.

Also is it better to have the mutations of F508 and G551D

Many Thanks

Rob

http://Rob-Cure-CF.bebo.com

Im so tired, Lower tolerance?? what does that mean in english, im soo sleepy

Answer 1

Robert,

Doctors and researchers do speak their own language, don't they? I asked a microbiologist working on developing vaccines for bacterial diseases why they and doctors used such language, and he said, "Because we deal with the human body and we have to be precise. Or would you rather be dead?"

Well, put that way...

The "CF" is "cystic fibrosis." We used to have a family across the street with two of their three children afflicted with cystic fibrosis, and it's not easy raising a family most of whom will be dead by age 25. That's what cystic fibrosis does.

It's a genetic disease, where a mutation on a gene called the CFTR causes a change in our mucus. It's called CFTR because it codes for a protein called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, which regulates the passage of ions, especially chlorine, but also potassium and sodium, in and out of cells that produce certain fluids, like sweat, tears, and mucus. The mutation limits severely the passage of chlorine ions. Chlorine--well, chloride--will effect the transport of water into and out of the cell, and without the protein, these fluids just don't get enough water, and they become thick. This doesn't present too much of a problem except for mucus.

Mucus, as disgusting as we think it is when we have a cold, is extremely important. It is involved in protecting our digestive, reproductive, and respiratory systems.

And the respiratory system is the most immediately important one, and the reason cystic fibrosis kills.

The mucus becomes thick and sticky, and it plugs and damages lungs, most often through the agency of a bacterial infection. The mucus no longer serves as a protective coating but rather becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, and the lung is damaged. Inflammation is repeated and often severe, and teh lung is damaged with each infection. That's why cystic fibrosis sufferers must cough up a great deal of thick mucus every day. If they don't, they not only will lose the ability to exchange gases, but they will have long-lasting and acute lung infections which will kill them faster. Eventually--if a young age can be called "eventually"--they die.

"Pseudomonas" is a genus of bacteria that includes several species that can cause several infections. It's quite common in cystic fibrosis, and sadly, it has the ability to kill some of the body's defenses against it.

So there is research going on into this disease, much of it conducted on mice. These mice have the disease, because they are bred with the mutations that cause it. The quote you printed about "impaired clearance" of pseudomonas means that the body can't fight the bacterial infection. Because of the thickened mucus, the leukocytes (white blood cells) and most T-cells can't get to the bacteria, so the body tries to fight them any way it can, including in some odd ways, using immune cells it normally would not use. That's the "abnormal host response."

Is it better to have the mutations? No.

Those mutations on that gene (the CFTR gene) are in fact the reason the person (or the mouse) will have cystic fibrosis. Women seem to have the F508 mutation more often than men, but there doesn't seem to be any advantage in having one mutation (say, the F508) over the other. Both cause the disease.

So, in short, what the quote means is "mice with cystic fibrosis because of the G551D mutation do not have normal immune systems, using unusual immune response to pseudomonas bacteria, which fails to kill the bacteria in their lungs."

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

an abnormal host response is any response that is not normally acheived and they find it difficult to rid themselves of the disease once aquired....as I don't know what the mutations are as you have not stated the difference how am I supposed to know which is worse...and unless you are a very clever mouse the carry over to a human host is also unclear.

Answer 3

It would seem to indicate a low tolerance

Answer 4

they have unusual response to a virus and lowered tolerance to the disease