(10) Allergic Diseases Flashcards
What is allergy/hypersensitivity?
Undesirable, damaging, discomfort-producing and sometimes fatal reactions produced by the normal immune system (directed against innocuous antigens) in a pre-sensitised (immune) host
How many immunopathological classifications are there for allergy?
4 types - Coombs and Gell 1963
type 5 - extended classification
What are the 4 types of hypersensitivity?
type 1 = anaphylactic
type 2 = cytotoxic
type 3 = immune complex
type 4 = delayed type
Which antibodies are involved in the 4 types of hypersensitivity?
type 1 = IgE
type 2 = IgG, IgM
type 3 = IgG, IgM
type 4 = none
What is the immunopathogenesis in type II cytotoxic?
IgG/IgM Ab response against combined self/foreign antigen at the cell surface - complement activation/phagocytosis/ADCC
What are the clinical features of type II cytotoxic?
- onset minutes to hours
- cell lysis and necrosis
What are the common antigens of type II cytotoxic?
Penicillin
What are the associated diseases of type II cytotoxic?
- erythroblastosis fetalis
- goodpasture’s nephritis
What are the steps when penicillin causes a type II cytotoxic reaction to cause lysis?
- complement-coated penicillin-modified red blood cells are phagocytosed by macrophages using their complement receptors
- macrophages present peptides from the penicillin-protein conjugate and activate specific CD4 T cells to become TH2 cells
- B cells are activated by the antigen and by help from activated TH2 cells
- Plasma cells secrete penicillin-specific IgG which binds to modified red blood cells
- complement lytic pathway
What is the immunopathology in type III-immune complex reactions?
IgG/IgM Ab against soluble antigen-immune complex deposition
What are the clinical features of type III-immune complex reactions?
- onset 3-8 hours
- vasculitis
What is the traditional cause of type III-immune complex reactions?
Serum sickness
Mouldy hay – farmer’s lung
What disease is associated with type III-immune complex reaction?
SLE
If the site of immune-complex deposition is the blood vessel walls, what is the resulting disease?
Vasculitis
If the site of immune-complex deposition is the renal glomeruli, what is the resulting disease?
Nephritis
If the site of immune-complex deposition is the joint spaces, what is the resulting disease?
Arthritis
If the site of immune-complex deposition is the perivascular area, what is the resulting disease?
Arthus reaction
What is arthus reaction?
The Arthus reaction is a type of local type III hypersensitivity reaction which involves the deposition of antigen/antibody complexes mainly in the vascular walls, serosa (pleura, pericardium, synovium) and glomeruli.
If the site of the immune-complex deposition is the alveolar/capillary interface, what is the resulting disease?
Farmer’s lung
What is the immunopathology in type IV-delayed reactions?
Antigen specific T-cell mediated cytotoxicity
What are the clinical features of type IV-delayed reactions?
- delayed onset 48-72 hours
- erythema induration
What is the common antigen in type IV-delayed reactions?
- metals eg. Nickel
- (tuberculin reaction)
What disease is associated with type IV-delayed allergic reaction?
Contact dermatitis
In type IV-delayed allergic reactions, an antigen leads to a T cell response, briefly describe the following steps
- antigen is processed by tissue macrophages and stimulates THI cells
- chemokines, cytokines and cytotoxins are released which perform different functions
In type IV-delayed allergic reactions, chemokines, cytokines and cytotoxins are released. State which and their functions
- chemokines = macrophage recruitment to the site of antigen
- IFN-y = activates macrophages increasing release of inflammatory mediators
- TNF-a and TNF-b = local tissue destruction, increased expression of adhesion molecules on local blood vessels
- IL-3/GM-CSF = monocyte production by bone marrow stem cells
Describe the stages in the development of allergy
- environment and genetics (atopy)
- barrier dysfunction
- sensitisation
- changes in T cell sub-sets dominated by Th2
- IgE
- ALLERGY
Which allergy is associated with the eyes?
Allergic conjunctivitis
Which allergy is associated with the nose?
Allergic rhinitis
Which allergy is associated with the mouth?
Oral allergy syndrome
Which allergy is associated with the airways?
Allergic asthma
Which allergy is associated with the skin?
Atopic dermatitis
Which allergy is associated with the GI tract?
Food allergy
How do we get allergies?
- those components of the immune system involved in responses to parasitic infection are also involved in allergic responses
- the system has developed to produce a rapid tissue-based response to re-infection
- the lack of infectious drive is a contributory factor in allergic disease
In immune response to parasitic disease, what is there increased levels of?
Increased levels of IgE
- total
- specific to pathogen – cross-reactive
In immune responses to parasitic diseases, there is tissue inflammation with what?
- eosinophilia and mastocytosis
- basophil infiltration
What is eosinophilia?
An increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood, occurring in response to some allergens, drugs, and parasites, and in some types of leukaemia
Which cells are present in immune responses to parasitic disease?
Presence of CD4+ T cells secreting: IL4, IL5, IL13
Describe the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ in relation to parasitic disease and allergy
- stimulation by microbes is protective
- animal models – T1DM, EAE, asthma
- increased atopy (asthma) after anti-parasitic Rx
- prevention of autoimmunity (Crohn’s) by infections
- pro-biotics in pregnant women
- mechanism – Th1 Th2 deviation
What are the genetic influences on the ‘allergic’ immune response?
- polygenic disease
- cytokine gene cluster IL3, IL, IL9, IL13
- IL12R; IL4R
- FceRI
- IFNg; TNF
Are genetic influences of ‘allergic’ immune response sufficient for disease?
No, not sufficient for disease, only susceptibility
What defects causing an allergic response can be caused by genes?
- barrier function
- tissue response
- atopic immune responses
- environment sensing
- eosinophils
Which genes contribute to all of asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis?
C11orf30
LRRC32
Which genes contribute to only allergic rhinitis?
TLR6
NOD1
Which gene contributes to both asthma and allergic rhinitis?
TSLP
What is an allergen?
Antigens that initiate an IgE-mediated response
What does the first encounter with an allergen result in?
Innate and IgM response (you do not generate and allergic response on first encounter)
What is the conventional immune response?
- allergen requires processing
- presentation to T cells and cytokine release
- results in delineation of T-helper subsets into different types
In allergic responses, what are the early priming events?
- decreased barrier function
- allergen is passively taken in or actively taken up through barrier
- immature dendritic cell gets activated
- dendritic cell migrates and matures
- mature dendritic cell presents antigen to naive T cell in lymph node
- T cell activation
- Th2-cell development
What is a dendritic cell?
Antigen-presenting cell
Main function is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to T cells
In an allergic response there is differentiation of T-helper cells. Give 4 different types of T helper cell involved
- Th1
- Th2
- Th17
- Treg