摘要
感染对免疫系统的进化施加了强大的选择性压力，免疫系统的不同组成部分逐渐形成了抵御特殊微生物感染的能力。已发现越来越多的人类基因影响特异性感染的转归。免疫系统特定组成部分的缺陷（先天性或获得性）会导致对特定类型微生物的易感性。免疫应答也参与感染性疾病的发病机制。
Infections have exerted a strong selective pressure on the evolution of the human immune system, the different components of which have evolved to resist infection by particular micro-organisms. An increasing number of individual human genes that influence the outcome of specific infections have been identified. Deficiency of specific components of the immune system（as a result of either genetic or acquired disorders） predisposes to characteristic patterns of infection. The immune response may also contribute to the pathogenesis of infectious disease.
