Genotypic targeting of the immune response by fish oil and antioxidants. During infection and injury, the immune system becomes activated and caries out a complex set of actions which are designed to destroy the infective agent and produce healing.
Inflammation plays a central role in the actions of the immune system.
It helps to direct it and focus the metabolism of the body on overcoming the microorganisms and repairing the injury. The raised temperature and loss of appetite and body weight, which occur during infection and following injury, are closely linked to these changes. However excessive or uncontrolled inflammation can be detrimental and is involved in the pathology of a wide range of diseases such as, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Excessive TNF production may underlie the inappropriate inflammatory response in such diseases. In addition excessive TNF production, during the response of the body to injury and infection, is closely associated with increased mortality rates and a lengthening of the period requiring hospitalization.