2.1 - Innate Immunity Flashcards
What are the mechanisms of defence?
1) 1st Line - Innate
- always active
- includes barriers
- provides immediate protection, but short-term immunity
2) 2nd Line - Inflammation
3) 3rd Line - Adaptive
- evolves over time
- targets pathogens through a tailored response
- slower acting, provides longer-lasting immunity
Physical Barriers in the 1st Line of Defence
- skin and the linings of tracts within the body
1) shedding of cells - expulsion of cells removes invaders
2) coughing and sneezing expel pathogens from the resp tract
3) vomiting expels pathogens from the stomach
4) Peeing clears pathogens from urinary tract
5) Cilia moves mucous out of the lungs
What are the 2 chemical barriers in the 1st line of defence?
1) Epithelial Cells
- epithelial cells secrete fluids - tears, ear wax, saliva, sweat, mucous - which contain antimicrobial peptides
- antimicrobial peptides inhibit growth/kill bacteria
2) Microbiome
- contains bacteria that outcompetes other harmful organisms trying to invade
What is the 2nd line of defence?
- inflammatory response
- triggered by ischemia, trauma, necrosis, injury, foriegn bodies
Process of Inflammation
1) Vasodilation - increases blood flow to the area; causing redness and heat
2) Vasodilation increases vascular permeability; more fluid and immune cells leak into tissue; causing inflammation
3) Immune cells (leukocytes) adhere to vessel walls and travel to site of injury
- the vascular response is need to recruit immune cells to the effected site
What are the goals of inflammation?
1) Prevent further damage: isolate harmful agents
2) Control inflammatory process
3) Initiates adaptive response
4) Initiates healing
What are the 3 Plasma Protein Systems
- plasma protein are formed in plasma of liver cells
1) Complement
2)Clotting
3) Kinin
Role of the Complement System
PHAGOCYTES
- produces fragments that recruit phagocytes and destroy pathogens
Role of the Clotting System
FIBRIN
- forms the fibrin mesh at site of injury
Function of The Mesh
1) Prevents spread of infection
2) Localizes bacteria
3) Forms a clot to stop bleeding
4) Provides framework for healing
Role of Kinin System
BRADYKININ
- assists inflammatory cells
- Bradykinin: causes vasodilation and increases vascular permeability
What are the 4 Types of Cytokines
Cytokines - intracellular signalling molecules that activate the inflammatory response
1) Chemokine’s
- made by many cells
- guides immune cells to the site of injury (induces chemotaxis) (allows phagocytosis)
2) Interleukins
- produced by macrophages and lymphocytes in response to stimuli
3) Tumour necrosis factor alpha
- secreted by macrophages in response to a pathogen
- in excess, can cause muscle wasting and thrombosis
4) Interferon
- produced and releases by virus infected cells
- induce antiviral state in neighbouring cells to limit spread of infection
Blood Cell Types and Functions
Erythrocytes - RBC’s
Platelets - aid in clotting
Leukocytes (BEN)
1) neutrophils - early responders
2) eosinophils - combat parasitic infxns
3) basophils - release histamine
Monocytes
- differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells
- macrophages: engulf pathogens
- dendritic cells: antigen presentation
Lymphocytes
- T cells -
- B cells - produce antibodies that target pathogens
- Natural Killer cells - directly attack infected cells
Mast Cells
- mast cells are immune cells
- found in loose connective tissue (skin, resp tract, blood vessels)
- contain granules which are packed with histamine, cytokines, and chemotoxic factors (recruit immune cells)
- basophils also release histamine
Degranulation
- process by which immune cells (mast cells) release the contents within their granules into surrounding tissue to fight infection
Function of Histamine
1) constricts large blood vessels and dilates small blood vessels
- increases blood flow to area
2) increases permeability of endothelial cells
- creates gaps b/w endothelial cells allowing fluid and immune cells into surrounding tissues
- helps immune cells reach site of infection
Role of the Endothelium
Endothelial cells
- line the surface of blood vessels
- adhere to connective tissue
- interact with circulating platelets
Damage to endothelial cells
- when endothelial cells are damaged, platelets leak out of exposed vessels and adhere to tissue to start forming a clot
- endothelial cells control ho many cells and proteins enter/exit the tissue to regulate inflammation
Function of Platelets
- platelets are activated by tissue destruction and inflammation
- once activated, platelets interact w coagulation cascade and undergo degranulation
- plts release serotonin - promotes vasodilation and increases vascular permeability