Enterology Flashcards
What are distinctive features of the mucosal immune system? (7)
- Intimate interactions between epithelia & lymphoid tissues
- Discrete compartments of lymphoid tissue
- Specialized antigen-uptake mechanisms
- Activated/memory T-cells predominate even in absence of infection
- Non-specifically activated natural effector/regulatory T-cells present
- Active downregulation of immune responses
- Inhibitory macrophages and tolerance-inducing DCs
What are the specialized lymphoid tissues in the small intestine & colon?
Small intestine = Peyer’s patches
Colon = colonic patches & isolated lymphoid follicles
Why are lymphoid-like structures directly present in the mucosal surfaces of the intestine?
Lymph nodes are relatively far away -> presence of lymphoid structures in the intestines allows for rapid responses
What is the specialized antigen-uptake mechanism of Peyer’s patches?
M-cells
What is the function of M-cells?
Selective antigen-uptake in the intestine
What kind of T-cells predominates in the intestine? What is the advantage of this?
Memory cells -> primed phenotype, allows for rapid responses
Where are memory T-cells in the intestine located?
Lamina propria
How is tolerance to food antigens (mainly) maintained in the intestine?
Tregs
How are intestinal epithelial cells interconnected?
Tight junctions
Which three distinct areas can be distinguished in Peyer’s patches?
- Dome area containing DCs
- T-cell areas
- B-cell areas
Where are DCs located in the Peyer’s patches?
Dome area
True or false: Peyer’s patches and colonic patches have the same organization
False; Peyer’s patches have distinct tissue organization, whereas colonic patches are more loosely organized
Which cell types can be found in the intestinal lamina propria? (4)
- Memory T-cells
- Memory B-cells
- High amounts of macrophages and DCs
- Relatively low amounts of monocytes
True or false: the composition of immune cells in the lamina propria is the same across the whole digestive tract
False; the composition is site-dependent
What are IELs? Where are they mainly found?
Intra-epithelial lymphocytes; almost exclusively found in the small intestine, very little in the colon
What is the role of IELs?
Have a role in barrier function of the epithelium
How do antigens from the intestines reach lymph nodes?
Peyer’s patches and colonic patches contain lymph ducts that drain to mesenteric lymph nodes
What is the function of villi of intestinal epithelium?
Surface enlargement
What are the functions of microvilli of the intestinal epithelium? (2)
- Enlarge surface
- Prvent bacterial attachment
What do the villi of the duodenum look like?
High villi
What are Brunners glands? Where are they found, and what are their function?
Glands in the submucosa of the duodenum -> secrete alkaline solutions to neutralize stomach acid
What can be said about the folds of the jejunum as compaired to the duodenum? What happens to the folds more distally?
Higher folds, that lower distally
What happens to the crypts of the ileum, the more distal you get?
Crypts deepen towards the ileum
True or false: the ileum has plicae
False; the ileum barely has any folds
Where are Peyer’s patches mainly found?
Ileum
Why are Peyer’s patches mainly found in the ileum, and not more proximal?
Barely any bacteria in the duodenum/jejunum
Why does the colon not contain villi or folds?
No need to take up nutrients
Which cell type can be found at the bottom of colonic crypts?
Stem cells
Which cell types can be found in the intestinal epithelium? (4)
- Enterocytes
- Goblet cells
- Paneth cells
- Stem cells
What is the function of enterocytes?
Resorption of nutrients
What is the function of goblet cells?
Production of mucus
The colon contains [less/more] goblet cells than the small intestine
More
Where are goblet cells located in the small intestine?
Base of the villi
Where in the intestine can one find Paneth cells under physiological circumstances?
Small intestine
What is the function of Paneth cells?
Keeping crypts free of bacteria through the release of anti-microbial peptides
True or false: Paneth cells are the only intestinal cells producing AMPs
False; other epithelial cells also produce AMPs, but in far lower amounts
What happens when a Paneth cell is unable to clear bacteria?
Sensing of bacteria using TLRs & PRRs -> signals for assistance
In which instance can Paneth cells be found in the colon?
Paneth cell metaplasia -> occurs in severe colonic disease
How long does regeneration from crypt to villus take?
~36 hours
How do intestinal microbiota contribute to host physiology? (4)
- Bacteria facilitate digestion & absorption of nutrients
- Bacteria-derived signals are needed for normal intestinal physiology
- Commensal bacteria limit pathogen colonization
- Host provides a protected & nutrient-rich environment
Which two systems in the intestine are dependent on the presence of signals from intestinal microbiota?
- Epithelium
- Immune system development
Which constituent parts form the intestinal epithelial barrier, which limits bacterial penetration of host tissue? (5)
- Microvillar extension -> prevent bacterial attachment
- Epithelial tight junctions
- Mucinous secretions by goblet cells
- Epithelial transcytosis of IgA
- Antimicrobial peptides
True or false: epithelial tight junctions in the intestine always remain tightly closed
False; they can be opened in a controlled way, but without breaking the barrier
What is the main component of mucus?
Polysaccharides
The [small intestine/colon] has a thicker mucus layer
Colon has a thicker mucus layer
What does a lack of mucus-production lead to?
Lack of bacterium-free zone above the epithelium -> bacterial colonization of crypts -> colitis
What is the daily prodyuction of IgA in the intestine? How much % of the total immunoglobulin production is this?
3-5 grams of IgA/day, 75% of total production
What is the role of IgA in intestinal barrier functions?
Allows for selective colonization by bacteria, whilst preventing others from attaching
What triggers secretion of AMPs by Paneth cells?
TLR activation
What is the effect of a deletion of Paneth cells?
Disturbances of commensal bacteria, leading to more drainage of commensals to mesenteric lymph nodes
How do M-cells selectively take up antigens?
PRRs recognize relevant antigens
Which three mechanisms does the intestine have for antigen-uptake across the epithelium?
- Passive diffusion
- M-cells
- Macrophage uptake
How do macrophages take up antigens from the intestine?
Break tight junctions between epithelial cells and extend cytoplasm into the lumen to sample it
What is the effect of increased bacterial load on the number of macrophage protrusions in the intestinal epithelium?
Amount of macrophage protrusions increases
What are the epithelial barrier & antigen sampling characteristics of the small intestine? (4)
- Presence of M-cells
- Thin mucus layer
- Presence of Paneth cells
- Peyer’s patches
What are the epithelial barrier & antigen sampling characteristics of the colon? (4)
- Absence of M-cells
- Thick mucus layer
- Absence of Paneth cells
- Isolated lympoid follicles
How does a cell in the intestine determine whether to respond to PRR activation or not?
Specific combinations of PRR activation produces specific cocktails of inflammatory mediators, dictating responses
What are the two functions of NF-κB in the intestine?
- Production of inflammatory mediators upon activation of PRRs
- Intestinal epithelial homeostasis
By which factor is NF-κB inhibited?
IκB
How is IκB inactivated, allowing for the activation of NF-κB?
Phosphorylation of IκB allows it to be ubiquinated -> IκB broken down in proteasome, releasing NF-κB
What is the function of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells?
Necessary for epithelial cell survival
What is the effect of loss of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells?
Disrupted epithelial barrier function -> bacteria leak in -> macrophage activation -> chronic intestinal inflammation
What is the effect of NF-κB in macrophages? (3)
- Survival
- Pro-inflammatory factor expression
- Host defence
Where are most PRRs in the intestine located? Why there?
Basolateral side -> allows for sensing of bacterial tissue invasion, whilst not getting activated by intraluminal presence of bacteria
In which areas of the intestine are TLRs located on the apical side of epithelium?
- Close to Peyer’s patches
- Colon
True or false: small intestine & colon express the same TLRs
False; they express different TLRs because they have a different microbiological profile, requiring different receptor signatures
What is the effect of repetitive activation of PRRs by the same pathogen?
Desensitization of epithelium, leading to hyporesponsiveness for that pathogen
What are the homeostatic functions of resident macrophages in the intestine? (4)
- Elimination of invading commensal bacteria
- Maintenance of Tregs
- Phagocytosis of senescent and apoptotic epithelial cells
- Transfer of antigens to migratory DCs
What is the effect of activation of resident phagocytes by danger molecules?
Inflammatory response
Which group of macrophages in the intestine is particularly prone to inflammatory reactions? Why?
Monocyte precursors from blood; these have not been conditioned for the gut environment and are hyperreactive against the antigens found there
What are the functions of inflammatory macrophages/moncoytes in the intestine? (3)
- Increased phagocytosis -> elimination of invading pathogens
- Maintenance of pro-inflammatory effector T-cells
- Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines & chemokines
What hampers mucosal vaccination of the intestine? How can this be overcome?
Predominant tolerance of the intestinal mucosa against mucosal signals; can be overcome by incorporating a strong danger signal in the intestine
What is the function of DCs in the intestine? What characteristics do they have towards that end? (4)
Sampling of micro-environment and antigen presentation in mesenteric lymph nodes
- Limited phagocytosis
- Limited killing
- High antigen-presenting capacity
- High migration capacity
What is the function of macrophages in the intestine? What characteristics do they have towards that end?
Important in homeostasis/governing responses in healthy tissue
- High phagocytosis
- High killing
- Low antigen-presenting capacity
- Low migration capacity
What are markers of DCs in the intestine? Where are they located?
CD103+ cells in the lamina propria
What are markers of macrophages in the intestine? Where are they located?
CD103- CX3CR1+ cells located under the epithelium
The small intestine contains more [DCs than macrophages/macrophages than DCs]
More macrophages than DCs
True or false: the intestine contains a lot of naïve cells
False; nearly all memory cells
What happens when T-cells in the Peyer’s patch are activated?
Migration to lamina propria
In which two ways can mesenteric lymphocytes be activated?
- DCs drain to mesenteric lymph nodes and present antigen to T-cells
- Free-floating antigens passively reach the lymph node, after which they are taken up by subcapsular macrophages/B-cells and presented to T-cells
Where are subcapsular macrophages located in the lymph node?
Subcapsular space
How to activated T-cells migrate back to the intestine?
T-cells undergo migration-dependent imprinting
What is migration-dependent imprinting?
Induction of specific chemokine receptors & adhesion molecules due to instruction by DCs
What is an important adhesion molecule for intestinal homing?
α4β7
True or false: tolerance in the intestine is mainly the result of the immune system ignoring antigens
False; there are T-cell responses to almost all food proteins
What is the effect of the presentation of food antigens by DCs in mesenteric lymph nodes & Peyer’s patches?
Induction of antigen-specific Tregs
How long after encountering new food antigens are functional Tregs produced?
72 hours
What is an important marker of many Tregs in the intestine?
FoxP3+
How can tolerance to food antigens be overcome? Why does this overturn tolerance?
Cholera toxin -> strong danger signal
Which factors contribute to a regulatory environment in the intestine? (3)
- CD103+ DCs
- Dietary vitamin A
- TGF-β
What do CD103+ DCs do to dietary vitamin A?
Convert it to retinoic acid
Which combination of DC-derived factors leads to the induction of Tregs in the intestine? (2)
- Retinoic from dietary vitamin A
- TGF-β
What is the effect of the presence of retinoic acid + TGF-β on inducted Tregs? Why is this beneficial?
- Expression of CCR9
- Expression of α7β4
Both are homing factors needed to home into the small intestine
Which cytokine is key in Treg function in the intestine?
IL-10
How deep should an intestinal biopsy be to adequately be able to judge it? Why?
Until the muscularis mucosae; allows for orientation of the biopsy
How many IELs should be visible in intestinal biopsies?
<20-25 IELs/100 epithelial cells
What is the ratio of villi length:crypt depth in adults & children?
Adults: 3:1
Children: 2:1
Based on which factors is celiac disease diagnosed? (5)
- Clinical manifestations
- Serological markers
- Genetic testing
- Response to gluten-free diet
- Histopathologic examination
Is histopathologic examination performed in routine diagnostics of celiac disease?
No; only in children and borderline cases
Why is early and correct diagnosis of celiac disease important? (2)
- Allows for initiation of gluten-free diet to avoid complications
- Allows for identification of non-celiac disease conditions
From which sites do biopsies need to be taken in order to be able to diagnose celiac disease? (2)
- Duodenal bulb
- Distal part of duodenum
What are two important biopsy prerequisities for accurate celiac disease diagnosis?
- Biopsy tissue fragments well-oriented
- Biopsies performed when patient was on gluten-containing diet
What histological pattern can be observed in celiac disease? (3)
- Disruption of villi:crypt ratio
- Increased amounts of IELs
- Crypt hyperplasia
In which way is the villi:crypt ratio disturbed in celiac disease?
Short villi (1:1) or no villi (mucosal flattening)
What is the primary location of ulcerative colitis?
Primarily rectal & left-sided colitis
Where in the digestive tract does Crohn’s disease occur? Where is it most frequently found?
All across the digestive tract; most frequently terminal ileum
How is the diagnosis of IBD made? (4)
- Clinical manifestations
- Endoscopic findings
- Imaging features
- Microscopic features
What is the role of the pathologist in IBD? (2)
- Assess distribution of disease
- Recognize chronic changes & acute inflammation due to IBD
In which anatomical location is it most difficult to distinguish between ulcerative colitis & Crohn’s disease?
Colon -> both can occur there and look similar
What are macroscopic features of Crohn’s disease? (3)
- Cobblestone aspect of the intestinal wall
- Strictures of the intestinal wall
- Ulcerations of the intestinal wall
What are microscopic features of IBD in the colon? (4)
- Architectural changes
- Chronic inflammation of the lamina propria
- Acute inflammation
- Epithelial changes
Which architectural changes can be observed in IBD in the colon? (2)
- Irregular/villiform mucosal surface
- Crypt distortion & atrophy (loss of crypts & shallow crypts)
How can chronic inflammation of the lamina propria be seen in IBD? (2)
- Increase of non-aggregated plasma cells & lymphocytes in lamina propria
- Basal lymphoplasmacytosis
Which presentations of acute inflammation can be seen in microscopy of the colon in IBD? (2)
- Formation of crypt abscesses/cryptitis due to neutrophilic inflammation
- Ulceration of the intestinal wall
Which epithelial changes can be observed in colonic IBD? (2)
- Paneth cell metaplasia to the distal colon
- Mucin depletion of epithelial cells of the mucosa
Which features can be used to distinguish CD from UC? (2)
- Presence of granulomas
- Presence of giant cells
What are features of IBD in the small bowel? (3)
- Architectural disturbance
- Inflammatory component of the lamina propria
- Pyloric metaplasia
What are causes of dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiome? (4)
- Host genetics
- Lifestyle
- Early colonization (bith in hospitals)
- Medical practices
What is inflammatory bowel disease (definition)?
Inappropriate inflammatory response to intestinal microbes in a genetically susceptible host
In which ways can immune responses in IBD be inappropriate? (2)
- Hyporesponsiveness
- Hyperresponsiveness
Which kind of genetic alterations are mainly found in IBD?
SNPs
In which locations is CD mainly found? (2)
Locations with high microbe diversity/numbers:
1. Terminal ileum
2. Colon
What are histological aspects of Crohn’s disease? (5)
- Patchy
- Transmural
- Dense lymphocyte infiltration
- Granulomas in 60% of patients
- Ulcer formation
What are histological aspects of ulcerative colitis? (4)
- Superficial layers affected
- Infiltration of lymphocytes & granulocytes
- Loss of goblet cells (empty)
- Presence of ulcerations & crypt abscesses
Genes involved in which functions have been implicated in IBD? (5)
- Immune regulation
- Neutrophil function, phagocytosis & bacterial killing
- Innate immune activation
- Lymphocyte selection & FoxP3 Tregs
- Epithelial barrier/responses
SNPs in which groups of genes are primarily associated with CD? (2)
- PRRs
- Cytokines
SNPs in which groups of genes are primarily associated with UC? (2)
- Cytokines
- Epithelial barriers
What are characteristics of IBD due to monogenic mutations?
Early onset and severe
Why is studying monogenic IBD informative for the whole group of IBD?
It can reveal pathways involved in IBD
Disruptions in the NOD2 pathway can lead to IBD. Does this lead to UC or CD?
CD
What is the physiological function of NOD2?
PRR
True or false: there are complete NOD2 insufficient patients
False; no complete NOD2 knockout has been found, but there are cases in which multiple SNPs severely hamper NOD2 function
How does CD due to NOD2 deficiency respond to treatment?
Very treatment-resistant
What are physiological functions of NOD2? (2)
- Maintenance of Paneth cells
- Physiology of APCs
What is the function of NOD2 for Paneth cells?
Important for the production of AMPs, particularly cryptidin
What is the effect of NOD2 disruption on APCs? (2)
- Increased killing
- Reduced TLR2 signaling -> reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines
What is the effect of disruption of IL-10 signaling in the intestine?
Small intestinal & colonic severe early-onset IBD
What is the effect of IL-10 deletion in Tregs in the small intestine (in mice)?
No effect -> other cells than Tregs are responsible for IL-10 production in the small intestine
What is the effect of IL-10 deletion in Tregs in the colon (in mice)?
IBD -> Tregs are an essential source of IL-10 in the colon
SNPs in which adaptive genes are mostly involved in IBD? (3)
Th1/Th17-function:
1. Innate cytokines involved in Th1/Th17 differentiation
2. Transcription factors of Th1/Th17 cells
3. T-cell derived cytokines
Which cytokine is fundamental in CD?
IFN-γ
Which cytokine is fundamental in UC?
IL-17
What are the treatment goals of IBD-treatment? (2)
- Induce & maintain remission
- Avoid complications
What is the initial phase of IBD treatment?
Strong immunosuppression using corticosteroids
Which treatment strategies are available for IBD? (5)
- Exclusive enteral nutrition
- Corticosteroids
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Immunomodulators
- Biologicals aimed at involved cytokines
True or false: exclucive enteral nutrition has (some) effect in all IBD patients
False; only works in a subgroup of patients
Which anti-inflammatory drugs are used in the treatment of IBD? (2)
- Sulfasalazine (SASP)
- Mesalazine (5-ASA)
Which immunomodulators are used in the treatment of IBD? (3)
- Methotrexate
- Tacrolimus
- Azathioprine
What is the main cytokine targeted by cytokine treatments in IBD?
TNF-α
What are proposed new options for IBD treatment? (4)
- Cytokine therapies against cytokines involved
- T-cell blocking therapies
- Therapies blocking cell recruitment
- Therapies blocking growth factors
Which involved cytokines could be targeted in IBD, in addition to TNF-α? (3)
- IFN-γ
- IL-6
- IL-12
What is gluten?
Protein component of many grains
What is the function of gluten for grains?
Storage protein
Gluten is [soluble/insoluble] in water
Insoluble
What makes gluten hard to break down? (2)
- Disulfide & hydrogen bonds, forming tight aggregates
- Rich in proline
What is coeliac disease (definition)?
Gluten-induced inflammation of the GI-tract
What is the main effect of coeliac disease on the body?
Disturbed nutrient uptake
What is the treatment of coeliac disease?
Gluten-free diet
How many % of the Dutch population suffers from coeliac disease? How many of them are diagnosed?
~1% = 170.000 people, of which 25.000 are diagnosed -> lots of undiagnosed infections
Which two HLA types can be present in coeliac disease? How many % has each?
- HLA-DQ2 = 95%
- HLA-DQ8 = 5%
Which serum marker is used for the diagnosis of coeliac disease?
Anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA
What is the physiological function of tissue transglutaminase?
Tissue repair
The antibodies against TG2 in coeliac disease are [binding/neutralizing] antibodies
Binding antibodies
Why is the presence of anti-TG2 antibodies alone insufficient for diagnosis of coeliac disease?
These could be transiently present in other diseases
Which processes enable reactions to gluten in coeliac disease? (3)
- Gluten is degraded in the intestinal lumen and passes the epithelial barrier
- TG2 deaminates gliadin, changing its confirmation
- The changed confirmation of gliadin allows it to bind in HLA-DQ2/-DQ8, causing antigen presentation of T-cells
Which adaptive responses are involved in coeliac disease? (2)
- Induction of gliadin-specific IFN-γ producing CD4+ T-cells by presentation of gluten on HLA
- Induction of a plasma cell response, leading to anti-TG2 antibodies
Which innate responses are involved in coeliac disease? (3)
- Stress of epithelial cells leads to secretion of IL-15, leading to induction of IELs
- Stress of epithelial cells leads to NK-receptor ligand expression, resulting in killing of epithelial cells
- Killing of epithelial cells by cytotoxic CD8+ IELs
What is the role of IL-15 in coeliac disease?
Leads to induction/activation of cytotoxic IELs that kill epithelial cells
What causes epithelial flattening in coeliac disease?
Killing of stressed epithelial cells by NK-cells
A large % of the population has susceptible HLA-types, yet only a small % has coeliac disease. What maintains balance in healthy individuals?
Tregs
What kind of Tregs are necessary for the maintenance of tolerance to gluten? Which cytokine do they produce?
Tr1-like cells: FoxP3- IL-10 producing T-cells
What is the effect of disrupted IL-10 function in coeliac disease? (2)
- IEL infiltration
- Crypt hyperplasia