Allergy Flashcards
- Define Allergy.
A specific type of immune response elicited by exposure to an antigen - hypersensitivity (medical term for allergy).
- Define antigen.
A substance that can generate an immune response.
- What are the key cells of the Type I hypersensitivity reaction and what do they do?
B-cell makes the IgE, and mast cells release mediators
- What do the heavy chains of the antibody determine?
What type of antibody it is, IgG, IgA, IgE, IgD, or IgM
- What do the light chains of the antibody determine?
The light chain portion couples with the heavy chain portion to form the antigen binding site
- What are the histologic consequences of mast cell degeneration?
Edema, vascular congestion and vasodilation, increased vascular permeability
- What cells denote a late phase Type I hypersensitivity reaction?
Eosinophils
- What are two signs of the tissue pathology of asthma?
Goblet cell hyperplasia due to repeated stimulation of mucous secretion & smooth muscle hypertrophy due to repeated episodes of bronchoconstriction
- What is the potentially lethal manifestation of type I hypersensitivity, what causes it, and how do you treat it?
Anaphylaxis due to circulatory failure widespread vasodilation and low volume from vascular leakage and respiratory failure due to bronchoconstriction from smooth muscle contraction and airway obstruction from laryngeal edema. Epinephrine
- What causes autoimmune hemolytic anemia?
IgG bound to the surface of red blood cells, immune system is attacking red blood cells
- Antibodies should only be bound to
things we want to fight against, not the cells in our bodies.
- What determines the symptoms of antibody mediated (type II) hypersensitivity reaction?
Organ involvement, blood=cytopenias, kidney=renal failure
- What happens in antibody mediated (type II) hypersensitivity?
IgG or IgM production which bind to host tissue and causes host tissue destruction
- What do B-cells make?
B-cells are a plasma cells that make antibody (immunoglobulin)
- What is the purpose of neutrophils, natural killer cells, and the complement system?
They destroy the cells and tissue that is labeled by the antibody (and cause collateral damage to surrounding tissue)
- What are the three mechanisms of destroying cells labeled with antibody?
Opsonization and phagocytosis, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and complement mediated cell lysis