• Question: What is the association between inflammation and fever?

    Asked by Nico ;-) to Sian, Ben on 8 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Sian Richardson

      Sian Richardson answered on 8 Mar 2018:

      Localisation of White blood cells to the area of infection will secrete factors which cause redness and an increase in temperature. There are a number of reasons for this one is that some inflammatory cells/molecules work better at a higher temperature making them more effective. Other reasons are that infections such as bacteria, the bacteria prefer a lower temperature to replicate (like 35oc) by the body increasing the temperature slightly the bacteria wont grow as fast, giving the immune system a better chance of eliminating the infection

    • Photo: Ben Mulhearn

      Ben Mulhearn answered on 9 Mar 2018:

      Nice one! One of the factors which causes fever is a chemical called interleukin-6 (IL-6). This is producced locally by the immune cells, but it travels through the body and acts on the brain to make our temperature go up, by causing shivering and sometimes shaking. As Sian said, this is because the bacteria like slightly lower temperatures.

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