Chronic "Frustrated Immune Response"

Question 1

There are as many as _______ organisms in one milliliter of gut fluid.

Answer 1

10^12

Question 2

Describe the factors that regulate the differentiation of Th0 cells in the Peyer’s Patches to Th1, Th2, or Th17 versus into Treg cells.

Answer 2

There is normally a lot of the cytokine TGFβ in the submucosal Peyer’s Patches, and that favors the differentiation of Th0 cells into Treg. The resident dendritic cells here make IL-10, and that also favors Treg development. Thus, there are a lot of Treg in the Peyer’s patches.

Question 3

What drives IgA production in the intestines?

Answer 3

The high prevalence of Tfh in Peyer’s patches

Question 4

How does the innate immune system switch from Treg to Th1, Th2, andn Th17?

Answer 4

The innate immune cells in the lining of the intestine secrete IL-6 which, in combination with TGF-beta, promotes the switch from Treg to the others.

Question 5

What produces IL-6?

Answer 5

Damaged epithelial cells

Question 6

Celiac patients develop a skin condition called ________, caused by IgA.

Answer 6

dermatitis herpetiformis