Red blood cells are important mediators of innate immune system
How are red blood cells considered mediators of the innate immune system and what is the mechanism?
Although the RBC's primary function is not immunity, it has some action in diseases like malaria.
https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Immunological-Function-of-Red-Blood-Cells.aspx#:~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20cellular%20environment,acid%20binding%2C%20and%20pathogen%20clearance.
Red blood cells present with a repertoire of self-antigens on their surface while some antigens are hidden in the membrane and cytosolic part of the membrane. The self-antigens are used to train T cells to differentiate between self and non-self antigens. The hidden antigens play a role in autoimmunity. That is to say, when they are exposed the body produces an immune response to them (innate cells to phagocytose them and antibodies produced to facilitate phagocytosis by innate immune cells and mediate complement-dependent lysis of such cells. This is to say that red cells are not directly involved in the immune response against foreign agents but form part of the recognition patterns for immune cells to differentiate between self and non-self antigens. I hope this information was useful.
Intrinsic elements within red blood cells, such as hemoglobin and heme, serve as robust components of innate immunity. They exhibit the capability to produce antimicrobial reactive oxygen species (ROS), acting as a defense mechanism against invasive hemolytic microbes. Simultaneously, these components have the potential to stimulate pathological inflammatory reactions and autoimmune responses. Additionally, RBC entities maintain the capacity to attach and engage with various inflammatory substances, encompassing chemokines, nucleic acids, and pathogens. This ability enables them to govern and adjust immune responses effectively. Iron mediates ROS generation, which causes cell death and is known as ferroptosis. reference the[Article The Evolving Erythrocyte: Red Blood Cells as Modulators of I...
,Article Ferroptosis and microbial pathogenesis
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