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Well, maybe one of the native English-speaking medical doctors could
say it more elegant, but 'immune-compromised' means '(partially) immune
deficient'. Of course, immune deficiency is sort of booked by 'AIDS', so
one does not like to use this term for other cases in which the immune
system does not fully work.
'Classical' example for an immune compromised person is one who has to
take immune suppressants due to a transplant. Elderly people tend to
have a weakened immune system, that's why one tries to motivate them
to have flu shots. Young children's immune system is not yet fully
developped, and stress also can temporarily weaken the immune system
(that's why often people catch the flu right after a major examination).
There are also inherited (partial) immune deficiencies.
Usually, to be partially and/or temporarily immune compromised is not
too much of a problem, because the body also has unspecific defence
systems like an acid 'coat' on the skin, strong acid in the stomac,
and mucous tissues that make it hard for bugs to grow or move layering
body openings.
One of my professors (quite a famous one in his field) after teaching
three graduate classes in immunology (basic, intermediate and advanced)
said in one of the last advanced classes that he thinks that the immune
system is one of the biggest mistakes nature made. After enjoying our
shocked faces,he explained that the benefits of the specific immune
response equal the damage caused by it (allergies, autoimmune diseases,
other immunologic diseases)! We understood his argument, but still felt
awkward to study very hard just to understand a 'mistake'. A little
later, he became director of an institute solely dedicated to study
that mistake.
I hope I amused you a little bit with that story, but what I want to
say is that everybody is 'immune-compromised' once in a while, but
this does not mean, that the body is left out there defenseless.
Marianne Ostermayer
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