title: Observations on constitutional resistance to infection.
abstract: The attention of most immunologists is held by the elaborate nonspecific and antigen-specific mechanisms of reactive immunity. There is, however, a more fundamental level of immunity to infection that is shared by all forms of life: constitutional resistance to infection. In this article, the nature and importance of constitutional immunity is illustrated using examples from population, cell and molecular biology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vaccines and Sera, St Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Rumyantsev
mesh_terms: D000828:Animal Population Groups / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002477:Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000254:growth & development; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D015994:Incidence; D007239:Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000662:veterinary; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances