Allergy and hypersensitivity Flashcards
What are the three ways the immune system can go wrong?
React to innocuous agent
Being deficient and not working
Reacting to self during autoimmunity
Define hypersensitivity
Damage to the host arising from an immune response
Causes of hypersensitivity
Autoimmunity
Side effect of response to pathogen
Transplantation
How many types of hypersensitivity are there?
6
Features of type I hypersensitivity
Mast cells
IgE
Generally allergies
Immediate
Which cells are involved in type I hypersensitivity?
Mast cells
B cells
Why is type I hypersensitivity immediate?
Since all the components involved are preformed
All you need is for the allergen to bind to its receptors
What is the half-life of IgE?
2.5 days in serum
12 weeks if bound to mast cells
IgE lasts longer when bound to its receptor
When does IgE become elevated?
Certain parasitic diseases
Hyper IgE syndrome
Allergy
What agents promote class switching to IgE in B cell immunoglobulins?
IL-4
IL-13
What agent inhibits IgE?
Interferon-y
What is the main mechanism underlying Type I hypersensitivity?
IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation
Describe the organ affected and the symptoms caused due to type I sensitivity
Upper respiratory tract - hay fever
Lower respiratory tract - atopic asthma
Skin - allergic eczema
Systemic - peanuts
Infection - worm
Which inflammatory granules are released by mast cells?
Histamine
Serotonin
TNFa
Prostaglandins
Leukotrienes
First two = stored, released immediately
Last three = newly synthesised, chronic effects
What is necessary for Type I hypersensitivity to take place?
IgE antibody acting on mast cells and eosinophils
Th2 cells releasing IL4, IL5 and IL13 to cause IgE class switching
What are the two main components describing the predisposition to allergies?
Genes
Environment
Which genes are related to allergy sensitivity?
FcRe
HLA-DQ
IL-2R
IL-4R
What are the three ways to treat allergies?
Allergen avoidance
Pharmacotherapy
Immunotherapy
Describe some drugs used to treat allergies
Corticosteroids - suppress transcription of proinflammatory genes
Sodium cromoglycate - blocks mediator release from mast cells, reducing IgE []
Anti-histamines
Motelukast - leukotriene receptor antagonist
Describe immunotherapes used to treat allergies
Omalizumab - anti-IgE and anti-FcER
Repeated low dose antigen over a period of years
What is type II hypersensitivity?
Antibody mediated killing
What are the two ways type II hypersensitivity manifests?
Antibody-mediated killing
Formation of antibodies that block physiological function