12. Immunotoxicology Flashcards
What is the main function of eosinophils?
Phagocytic
Parasitic infection
Allergy
What is the main function of neutrophils? What does it contain?
- First responder
- Recognize the enemy (IgG and C3b receptors-complement)
- They go to the battle field (Chemotaxis)
- Bacteria phagocytosis
- Inflammation
- Contain cytoplasmic granules that contain enzymes needed to kill the pathogen that it took up
What is the main function of basophils?
Allergy
Helminth (parasitic worm)
Infection
What is the main function of dendritic cells?
Presenting antigens to T cells to help its activation.
What is the main function of lymphocytes?
B cell: antibody production
T cell: helper/cytotoxicity
What is the main function of mast cells?
Inflammation
Infection/injury
Allergy
What is the main function of monocytes?
Phagocytic
Macrophage and dendritic cell precursor
What is the main function of natural killer cells?
Virus
Tumour cells
Order the WBCs by highest % of total WBCs to lowest.
- Neutrophils (50-70%)
- Lymphocytes (25-45%)
- Monocytes (3-8%)
- Eosinophils (2-4%)
- Basophils (0.5-1%)
What is innate immunity?
It is the first responder that fights against any foreign invader, non-specific, and has no memory. Works in 0-12 hours.
It is composed of:
- Barriers: skin, lungs, gut, mucus to protect airways
- Complement: Plasma proteins produced in the liver that help opsonize pathogens. Coats pathogens to target for destruction by other immune cells.
- Cells: Mast cells, phagocytes (macrophages), dendritic cells, and natural killer cells.
What is adaptive immunity?
It is a slow (1-2 weeks) and specific response to specific antigens by B and T cells. Has memory and helps confer longer protection.
Composed of:
B lymphocytes: produce antibodies and plasma cells
T lymphocytes
other immune cells
What are the different types of antibodies produced by B cells in order of most abundant to least abundant in serum? Give a characteristic of each.
- IgG: most abundant in serum
- IgA: The predominant antibody in secretions on and in mucosal surfaces, including the respiratory and GI tract
- IgM: First one produced in primary response
- IgD: Function isn’t completely clear but has same overall function of protecting against infection
- IgE: Mediates hypersensitivity reactions (ex: allergy, asthma)
What are the 2 types of adaptive immunity?
Humoral
Cell mediated
What is humoral immunity? What is the mechanism and what are its funtions?
A type of adaptive immunity.
Extracellular microbes get recognized by B cells which produce antibodies. These antibodies coat the pathogen to make it readily recognizable for the uptake by phagocytic cells. This prevents them from infecting cells.
• IgG coats microbes and targets them for phagocytosis by macrophages and neutrophils
• IgG and IgM activate complement system to promote phagocytosis of microbes
• IgA neutralizes microbes in the lumens of mucosal tissue (gut, lungs)
Functions: Block infections and eliminate extracellular microbes.
What is cell mediated immunity?
Where the Cytotoxic and helper T cells come into play:
- T helper (CD4+): they help activate other cells including macrophages. When the macrophage and T cell interact, the T cell can release cytokines to activate the macrophage making it more efficient at killing the pathogens it phagocytosed.
- Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+): interact with infected cells themselves by the release of a number of different enzymes to directly kill that cell. This eliminates reservoirs of infection.
What is a regulatory T lymphocyte?
CD4+
Suppression immune response so that it doesn’t become chronic and ongoing.
What are the T helper (Th) subsets? For each of them provide their defining cytokines, target cells (to activate), Host defense contributions, and their role in disease.
- Th1
Defining cytokines: Interferon-gamma (IFN-y)
Target cells: macrophages
Host defense contributions: Intracellular pathogens
Role in disease: Autoimmunity, chronic inflammation
1. Th2 Defining cytokines: IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 Target cells: Eosinophils Host defense contributions: Helminths Role in disease: Allergy
1. Th17 Defining cytokines: IL-17, IL-22 Target cells: Neutrophils Host defense contributions: Extracellular pathogens Role in disease: Autoimmunity
What is immunotoxicity (immunotoxicology)? What is it caused by?
Any adverse effect on the structure or function of the immune system, or on other systems as a result of immune system dysfunction.
It is caused by immunomodulation:
1. Immunosupression: Impaired immunity leading to enhanced susceptibility to infection
2. Immunoenhancement: Autoimmunity, hypersensitivity, chronic inflammation
What is Azathioprine?
A halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon and an immunosupressive drug. It is used to treat diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Explain the mechanism of Azathioprine.
- Azathioprine is a prodrug that undergoes a non-enzymatic conversion in the liver to 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). There are 3 pathways that this pathway stems off in from this point:
2a. Xanthine oxidase (XO) creates oxidized metabolites from 6-MP that are cleared from the body
2b. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) converts 6-MP to 6-Methyl mercaptopurine, an inactive metabolite that also gets cleared from the body. This is the rate limiting step to convert to inactive metabolites.
2c. 6-MP is converted to 6-thioguanine nucleotides (6-TGN) by hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase. These are the active metabolites and there are 2 different types:
- 6-TGTP = 6-thioguanine 5’-triphosphate
- 6-TGDP = 6-thioguanine 5’-diphosphate
What do the active 6-TGNs do?
- The adverse effects of Azathioprine are dose dependent caused by elevated concentrations of 6-TGNs.
- They cause the apoptosis of activated T cells and they have structural similarity to endogenous purine bases which allows them to be incorporated into DNA and RNA as “fraudulent” bases”.
This leads to:
‣ Strand breaks, inhibition of DNA repair mechanisms, inhibition of replication
‣ Inhibition of B and T cell proliferation
‣ Induces apoptosis which leads to myelotoxicity (leukopenia and thrombocytopenia).
What happens if people with an inherited TPMT deficiency take Azathioprine?
TPMT is the rate limiting enzyme for the conversion of 6-MP to inactive metabolites. Having a deficiency leads to elevated concentrations of 6-TGNs leading to life threatening pancytopenia (combination of three different blood disorders: Anemia is when you have too few red blood cells. Leukopenia is when you have too few white blood cells. Thrombocytopenia is when you have too few platelets).
What is the drug drug interaction between Azathioprine and Allopurinol?
Allopurinol (used to treat gout) is a xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor. Therefore it also leads to elevated levels of 6-TGNs causing life threatening pancytopenia.
What is Clozapine? What are complications?
Anti-psychotic medication for schizophrenia used if it does not improve following use of other medications. Complications:
(normal neutrophil count= 1800-7500/ul)
- 3% of patients experience neutropenia (less than 1500 neutrophils/ul)
- 1% of patients experience agranulocytosis (less than 500 neutrophils/ul)
What are the mechanisms of the toxic effects on granulocytes (neutrophils) causing neutropenia?
Impaired proliferation due to:
- Anti cancer drugs (cisplatin)
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Alcohol use disorder
Cell viability (direct cell cytotoxicity)
What is Idiosyncratic drug-induced
agranulocytosis (neutropenia)?
- Failure of production of neutrophils in the bone marrow or peripheral destruction or both
- Exact mechanisms largely unknown
- Adverse reaction due to abnormal susceptibility
What is the mechanism of neutrophils and how does Clozapine affect it?
Neutrophils express myeloperoxidase (MPO) to generate ROS in the cell that the neutrophil can utilize a part of its killing strategy. One of the reactive species is HOCL (hypochlorous acid) which helps get rid of the intracellular pathogens taken up.
Clozapine reacts with HOCl to form a nitrenium ion which is highly reactive. This causes GSH and ATP depletion. This heightens the oxidative stress in the cell (remember last lecture) leading to apoptosis and neutrophil depletion (neutropenia).
What are the different kinds of tobacco smoke? How does it contribute to immunotoxicity?
- Sidestream smoke: Comes off the end of the cigarette
- Mainstream smoke: the smoke inhaled into the lungs
- Environmental smoke/involuntary smoke/passive smoke/secondhand smoke: Exhaled smoke + smoke coming off the cigarette.
- Contributes to immunotoxicity by immunosupression AND immunoenhancement.