Immunity and revealing babies
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By JinLover
- Immunity and revealing babies
- Created: Nov 6, 2007
- Last updated: Aug 14, 2008
- After episode: 3.22: Through The Looking Glass
- Status: Current
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I was flicking through New Scientist the other day, when I found a very interesting article about protection of the foetus. The basic question the article tackled was, if the body’s immune system attacks foreign elements inside the human body, why is the foetus left untouched, even though part of it is made up of the father’s genetic material? The possible answer is relatively simple, albeit lacking in taste. New research is showing that the placenta produces ‘hormones containing then same molecule some parasitic worms use to avoid detection by the immune system’ (New Scientist, 3rd Nov Issue… sorry, ripped the article out, so can’t reference properly!) In short, the foetus is kept cloaked from the immune system, ensuring it’s safety.
So, I wondered how (and if) this could relate to the fertility troubles on the island… Well, the island has always struck me as a place of revelation. People learn things about themselves and each other; secrets cannot be kept hidden. I think it was in Expose when Locke tells Paulo that nothing stays buried on the island for very long. I think this could be true of actions taking place inside the human body as well as outside: the island reveals everything to all, including the foetus and placenta in a pregnant woman to the immune system, prompting an untimely attack on the unborn baby. All is revealed…
Well, I hope this makes sense! Please try to be kind in your comments :-)
Key episodes
| # | Title | Aired | Central character | Theories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.14 | Exposé | 3-28-2007 | Nikki, Paulo | 87 |
If I understand this correctly, you’re saying that without these parasitic worms in the placenta a foetus will be destroyed by its host?
And therefore, on the Island, these parasitic worms that protect the foetus are unable to perform the function and this kills the foetus?
(Feel free to correct me if I’ve got this wrong.)
I love the application of science to solve Island problems. What I struggle with here is that Juliet stated the problem with pregnancy occurs at conception. I guess we can work around this if the parasitic worms are formed at the conception stage, but I get the impression that’s not where Juliet’s research was taking her.
+1 For the science approach, and I encourage you to keep digging at this subject!
Hi Angelo. Thanks for the comment. I didn’t take it so much that the body uses the parasitic worms - more the body produces the same hormones as the worms, with the same ‘cloaking device’ result.
I’d completely forgotten about Juliet’s comments on conception. I’ll have a think about that.
JL, this is an interesting idea and as AC said it’s important to work in the conception on island part. This got me thinking of a potential scenario in Season 4 if Kate also turns out to be pregnant. What if just as the island cures some people and not others, the conception on the island does not kill those woman who are in tune with the island? I think this could set up a contrast between Sun who got pregnant through reconciliation with her husband, and who is the island’s gardener, and Kate who got pregnant through a Benipulation and who is an island gatherer—often seen climbing up into the trees to take fruit—but not growing anything.
JinLover, I love the theory!!! Excellent work and a very original idea. As Angelo said, the application of science to the island issues is always welcome and usually produces some refreshing theories (as it has here!)
As for the conception issue, couldn’t your idea still tie in with the problem? The moment of conception would be the fertilization of the egg, but within 2-3 days the egg implants into the womb and the placenta begins to form. If the problem as you’ve stated it, is that the placenta doesn’t produce the hormone needed to shield the fetus, isn’t it possible that the malfunction occurs very soon after the actual fertilization of the egg? That would mean that Juliet is close to understanding the real problem, but not quite there yet.
+1 JL. Great work!!
JinLover I think this is excellent. I was aware of this idea of the weakening of the female immune system during pregnancy as a friend told me about it when I was pregnant, to explain to me why spending large parts of the day with my head down the loo was a good thing.
Anyway I digress. I think this is very well thought out and a possible explanation for the pregnancy issues.
+1 from me.
JinLover, sounds plausible to me! +1
very interesing
Great idea! The island kills babies in the name of truth! After all you can never truely live a truthful life if your body lies to itself, can you? Marvellous! + 1
JinLover,
Excellent Post! I really like this and it gives an easy scientific explanation to why the babies on the island are dying of an immuno-related condition. Of course, this “scientific answer” is only sufficient as long as we are willing to play along with the idea that the island (whether anthropomorphically or just due to its unique enviroment) is somehow precipitating a failure of a women’s body to produce the hormone you discussed above.
Of course, this leaves open…what exactly causes the death of the mother?
BUT your point actually also explains this. Why? Where the immune system attacks the fetus and the placenta, this can trigger a condition known as pre-eclampsia and subsequently, eclampsia. (Pre)eclampsia (check both out on wiki) is the most common dangerous pregnancy complication that occurs in women and can lead to convulsions, pre-mature delivery and death. In fact, straight out of wiki with eclampsia, 1 out of 50 of mothers who develop this condition die despite the “best medical care available”.
If we assume for the moment that the island is triggering a failure to release the hormones discussed above, this would explain both the death of the fetus and the death of the mother (assuming, as well, that the eclampsia may be more severe, thus deadly, on the island).
Bonus points on (pre)enclampsia.
(1) Although occurring at any time during the pregnancy, and even post-pregnancy, it appears to be most common after 20 weeks. So, it shows up in the 2nd trimester exactly when women on the island experience complications if my memory serves me correct.
(2) Even today, there is a lack of understanding of the causes of eclampsia, a lack of effective treatment in some cases even w/ the best medical care, and it is difficult to diagnose as its “asymptomatic”. This works on several levels as (i) there is a precedent for this to be “untreatable” esp. if we assume the island exacerbates the condition (ii) its difficulty to diagnose makes it understandable it may not have been detected as the culprit; (iii) our lack of understanding gives the writers creative license. Plus, it is popular enough to also be believable.
(3) One main cause of (pre)eclampsia is the shallow implantation of the placenta. Since implantation of the placenta occurs quite early in pregnancy, it is close to Juliet’s statement that there is some issue at (or around!) conception.