Researchers Reveal Fever Can Boost Immune Mechanism

A new study has revealed that a fever higher-than-normal body temperature is a part of our body’s natural response to infection.

The average normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, when the body’s temperature rises a few degrees above normal, it is a sign that the body is fighting infection and is generally not cause for concern.

However, a fever that goes above 102 degrees Fahrenheit is a cause for concern, and treatment should be initiated.

Researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences on Tuesday suggested patients with a fever higher than 38.5 degrees Celsius should take fever-reducing medicines after sustaining for about six hours.

The researchers explained that the fever could promote the protection mechanism of the human body in fighting against pathogen infection.

“The protein Hsp90 contained in the immune cells can be motivated when the body’s temperature goes up to 38.5 degrees Celsius.

“The protein will then be bonded on the cell membrane.

“It will now work with integrins alpha4 to accelerate the trafficking of the immune cells to the infection site in order to get rid of the pathogen,” the study published in the journal Immunity said.

Working with mice with fevers induced by salmonella infections, the researchers found the artificial destruction of the combination of Hsp90 and alpha4 will greatly increase the death rate during bacterial infection.