GI immunology Flashcards
Homeostasis in the gut is normally preserved by two mechanisms:
- IgA blocking antigens from interacting with mucosa of the gut.
- Supression of pro-imflammatory responses d/t oral tolerance
How do we get oral tolerance?
eating undigested fibers, vitamin A, lipids, breastfeeding for 4 months and mixed feeding afterwards
how do we get food allergies?
failure of oral tolerance d/t genes and environment
What can underlie food allergen sensitization?
defect in epithelial barrier
The gut flora or microbiota is influenced by early-life exposures such as maternal microbes, infant diet, antibiotics, probiotics and the physical environment. What does the gut microbiota lead to?
- development of the immune system,
- intestinal homeostasis and
- host metabolism.
(disruption of the gut flora can lead to diseases)
___________ of the gut microbiota can result in immune disease, intestinal disease, and metabolic disease.
___________ leads to immune tolerance, homeostasis, and healthy metabolism.
Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota can result in immune disease, intestinal disease, and metabolic disease. On the other hand, symbiosis leads to immune tolerance, homeostasis, and healthy metabolism.
Cesearean births are sterile. What does this mean?
they are less likely to make a healthy immune response in bb
GALT (gut-assx lymphoid tissue) consists
- tonsils,
- adenoids,
- Peyer’s patches,
- isolated lymphoid tissues (ILT),
- and the appendix
______________ is necessary for the proper development of Peyer’s patches and mature isolated lymphoid follicles.
Exposure to bacteria in the early life
The isolated lymphoid follicles act as lymph nodes for the gut. Dendritic cells within Peyer’s patches, after being exposed to an antigen, can present to the mesenteric lymph node OR to the isolated lymphoid follicle in the gut itself.
Every isolated lymphoid follicle in the gut is a product of a single B cell.
Peyer’s patches contain naïve B and T cells.
Most T cell responses for the gut are generated in the ____________
mesenteric LN
After birth, bacteria colonize the bbs intestines immediately; caysing events that events that will help to develop the [GALT and mucosa].
- What is the PRIMARY route we are exposed to antigens?
- How do [peyers patches and GALT] receive antigens, because they do not have afferent lymphatic vesses.
- GALT.
- Antigen-transporting DC transport the antigen to them
How do isolated lymphoid follicles (ILFs) mature?
- MAMPS (microbe assx molecular patterns) are recogized by PRR (patterm recognition receptors) on epithelial cell in the intestines and DCS, located next to cryptopatches.
- B and T cells are then recruited.
- Cryptopatches develop into mature ILFs
What is an isolated lymphoid follicle?
A single B cell follicle that acts as an site for IgA production. They develop after birth in the SI and LI, but only after being exposed to microbiota.
Microbes can also enter into peyers patches through M cells, where they are endocytosed by DCs. Ag loaded DCs will cause T cell differentiation and B cell maturation –>Which induce what?
IgA producing plasma cells
What does exposure to microbiota (MAMPS) do to assist the intestine in its development?
- Intestinal epithelial cells proliferate–>
- increase depth of crypts–>
- increase density of Paneth cells in the SI
- & cause the intestinal cells to release AMPs (antimicrobial peptides).
Commensal bacteria are present in high density. They are usually outside the mucus layer that covers the epithelium. What are our immune responses to them?
- Some killed by antimicrobial molecules made by epithelial cells.
- If they penetrate epithelium, rapidly killed by mØ in the lamina propria.
- If they penetrated the specialized-follicle assz epithelium (M-cells), rapidly killed by mØ, but some can live in DC days.
Commensal bacteria are present in high density. They are usually outside the mucus layer that covers the epithelium.
- Some killed by antimicrobial molecules made by epithelial cells.
- If they penetrate epithelium, rapidly killed by mØ in the lamina propria.
- If they penetrated the specialized-follicle assz epithelium (M-cells), rapidly killed by mØ, but some can live in DC days. What happens then?
- DCs interact with T and B cells in Peyers patches OR DCs go to the mesenteric LN
- Induce IgA producing plasma cells
- B and T cells leave the mesenteric LN–> efferent lymph–> enter blood at the thoracic duct–> HOME BACK to intestinal mucosa
How do activated T and B cells in the mesenteric lymph node arrive in the lamina propria / mucosa?
They enter the mesenteric lymph node, enter the bloodstream through the thoracic duct, travel throughout the entire bloodstream, and then home in and enter the lamina propria / mucosa.
Mucus and epithelial AMPs (antimicrobial peptides) prevent microbes from going into the intestines. When they do get past the epithelium, they are rapidly elimnated by macrophages which induce which cytokine?
IL10
The outcome of the interaction between APC and T-cells is modulated by what?
MAMPs from the microflora
Which T cells would interact with an APC carrying an MAMP if the result was Crohn’s disease?
What would their product be?
Th1 / Th-17 would release
–> IFN-y, TNF, IL-17 (all pro-inflammatory)
What T cells would interact with an APC carrying an MAMP if the result was homeostasis?
What would the products be?
T reg cells–>
IL-10 and TGF-beta
What T cells would interact with an APC carrying an MAMP if the result was allergy and Ig-E dependent parasite defense?
What would the products be?
Th2–>
IL-4, IL-5, IL-13
how is homeostasis maintained between the host and the commensal flora?
- Mucus in the intestines is a barrier between the microbiota and the host tissue that prevents microbes from going through epithelium
- AMPS will also protect against these pathogens.
- If they tranlocated through, MO will kill them and release IL10–> makes T reg
- DCs can also capture the antigens–> mesenteric LN from lamina propria, but do not penetrate it. THey release IL6 and TGF B.
- In the MLN, T-reg cells to differentiate.
- DCs will also activate Th17–> IL17 and IL22, which makes AMPs and controls gut microbiota.
What makes up the mucosal firewall?
- Epithelial barrier
- Mucus layer
- AMPs
- IgA and DC
- Treg cells
- Th17
What is the mucosal firewall?
prevents good bacteria (commensals) from activating GALT
Symbiosis (or two organisms benefiting from eachother) occurs when there is a balanced microbial composition, maintaining homeostasis. Dysbiosis occurs d/t environment factors which would lead to?
dysregulation (lack of homeostasis) of the immunt system and
lead to inflammation in susceptible host (genetics)
Microbiota and immune system co-evolve. Malnutrition affects both and disrupt barrier to enteropathogen infection. What would reccurent enteric infections lead to?
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Impaired intestinal barreir fx
Both increase susceptility to infections.
How do undigested dietary carbohydrates, in the presence of commensal bacteria, decrease host response to the same commensal bacteria?
- Undigested dietary carbohydrates can be fermented –> short chain FA (acetate).
- Acetate –> increase presence of IL-10 + T regs.
- T regs decrease host response to commensal bacteria.
What are the functions of short-chain fatty acids (like acetate) produced by commensal bacteria on the G.I.?
- Increased T reg presentation.
- Increased IgA effectiveness.
- Increased production of mucus.
What three things are all of critical importance to the formation of induced Tregs for use in the guts to inhibit inflammatory responses?
- TGF-beta.
- Retinoic acid.
- An enzyme called “IDO.”
Immune tolerance is sustained immune unresponsiveness to self-Ags, beneficial Ags and commensal bacteria.
Oral tolerance is suppression of immune responses to Ags that have been administered by oral route
. What occurs when there is failure to induce tolerance to food protein?
Food allergy and celiac disease
What is peripheral tolerance?
When [mature self-reactive lymphocytes] in peripheral tissue are: inactivated (anergy), deleted (apoptosis), suppressed by T-cell?
What is central tolerance
Immature lymphocytes that attack self-antigens in the lymph organs are
- deleted
- change BCR specificity
- become Treg cells
Peripheral tolerance is when there are mature self reactive lymphocytes in peripheral tissues which are either inactivated, killed, or supressed. In the intestines, what is needed?
additional layers of peripheral tolerance are needed to make sure we have tolerance to Ags such as food and commensal organisms
What immune cells are important in ORAL TOLERANCE and where?
macrophaves
DC
TREG cells
in the lamina propria and mesenteric LN.
Oral tolerance is lead by mø, DCs, and Treg cells in the lamina propria and mesenteric LNs. Mø grab Abs from lumen and bring to DCs in LP via gap junctions. What happens next?
- Mo take up ags from the lumen
- Transfer acquired Ag –> DCs in the lamina propria via gap junctions.
- DCs stimulate naive CD4+ T cells –> FoxP3-expressing- Treg cells by released RA, TBF-B and IDO.