depth study Flashcards
define leucocyte
white blood cells which form part of the body’s immune system, help fight infection and other diseases
define monocyte
an immune cell which becomes a macrophage or dendritic cell
define macrophage
phagocytose pathogen and secrete pro-inflammatory mediators (long-life cells)
define dendritic cells
found in tissues, boosts immune responses by showing antigens on its surface to lymphocytes to regulate adaptive immune response
define neutrophils
first immune cells to respond, travel to site of infection where microorganisms are destroyed through ingestion and releasing of enzymes, (short lived cells)
define Natural Killer cells
lymphocytes which recognise virally-infected cells as non-self via their detection of MHC complexes- able to kill tumour cells without prior activation (in contrast to cytotoxic T cells)
what are CD4T cells also called?
“helper” cells
What do CD4T cells do?
helper cells do not neutralise infections but rather trigger the body’s response to infections by stimulating other immune cells such as macrophages and B lymphocytes to fight infection
what are CD8T cells also known as?
cytotoxic T lymphocytes
What is the function of CD8T cells?
secrete cytokines which have anti-tumour and anti-viral microbial effects which ultimately result in apoptosis of the target cell
what is the function of interleukins?
interleukins are a group of proteins made by leukocytes which regulate immune responses by modulating growth, differentiation and activation during inflammatory and immune responses.
What does D.I.C stand for? What type of condition is it?
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; a rare but serious condition that causes abnormal blood clotting throughout the body’s blood vessels - proteins that control blood clotting become overactive
What does A.R.D.S stand for? What type of condition is it?
Acute respiratory distress syndrome; a life threatening lung injury that allows fluid to leak into the lungs, occurs when alveoli fill up with fluid, keeping your lungs from filling up with air (less oxygen reaches your bloodstream, depriving your organs of the oxygen they need to function)
what is anaemia?
not having enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues
what is a cytokine storm?
a life-threatening systemic inflammatory syndrome involving elevated levels of circulating cytokines and immune cell hyper-activation - this could lead to multi-organ failure and death
how can covid-19 trigger a cytokine storm?
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, attacks the immune system causing an exaggerated and uncontrolled release of cytokines which lead to anaemia or ARDS and ultimately death
how can a cytokine storm lead to death?
patients can develop ARDS as a result of acute lung damage followed by multi-organ failure and resulting in death