Immune Hypersensitivities (Buxton) Flashcards
Define immune hypersensitivity.
Tissue damage due to immune mechanisms.
This type of immune hypersensitivity involves “allergic” or atopic reactions in which you’ll encounter IgE, mast cells, and eosinophils.
Type I
This type of immune hypersensitivity is due to antibody binding to cell surface proteins.
Type II
This type of immune hypersensitivity involves immune complex deposition in tissues, followed by complement activation and acute inflammation.
Type III
This type of immune hypersensitivity involves excessive tissue damage instigated by CD4 T cells and mediated by activated macrophages and cytotoxic T cells.
Type IV
What are the 3 phases of Type I immune sensitivity?
Sensitization, immediate reaction, late-phase response
During this phase of Type I immune sensitivity there is an initial exposure to the allergen, to which the body responds by making IgE. IgE leaves the plasma cell and goes through the blood to the various tissues containing mast cells. IgE then inserts itself into the Fc receptor on the mast cell, eventually building up over time.
Sensitization phase
During this phase of Type I immune sensitivity the allergen crosslinks 2 or more IgE molecules on the mast cell membrane after a sufficient amount of IgE to that allergen has been produced.
Immediate phase
What is the consequence of crosslinking?
Degranulation, eiconasoid production, and synthesis and release of cytokines.
During this phase of Type I immune sensitivity, which occurs 6-24 hours after mast cell degranulation, tissue damage due to infiltration of eosinophils (and some neutrophils and mononuclear cells) into affected tissue becomes apparent.
Late phase response
Name 6 players in the atopic reaction.
Allergens Th2 cells IgE Mast cells Cytokines Eosinophils
Name 5 clinical syndromes associated with Type I hypersensitivity.
Allergic rhinitis Sinusitis (hay fever) Food allergies Bronchial asthma Anaphylaxis (systemic response)
Where can you find mast cells?
Skin and mucous membranes
What are the contents released during degranulation?
Histamine
Proteases
Chemotactic factors (ECF, NCF)
What is the characteristic infiltrate of allergic/atopic reactions?
Eosinophils
What leads to the mast cells activation? What does this activation lead to?
Binding of antigen to IgE-coated Fc receptors on the mast cell. This leads to degranulation (immune response).
What does granule exocytosis via granule with preformed mediators result in?
Vascular dilation, smooth muscle contraction, tissue damage. This takes place within minutes.
What does secretion via lipid mediators result in?
Vascular dilation, smooth muscle contraction, chemotaxis. This takes place within hours.
What does secretion via cytokines result in?
Inflammation (leukocyte recruitment). This takes place within hours.
What is the purpose of skin testing?
To identify specific allergens to which a patient reacts.
What are the steps of skin testing?
- Inject/introduce small amount of allergen into skin.
- Allergen binds to anti-allergen specific IgE on skin mast cells.
- Mast cells degranulate - see flair and wheal with positive response.
When mast cells degranulate, they release ______, which induces ______ and increases ______ _______, resulting in flair and wheal.
…..histamine…..vasodilation…..vascular permeability…..
What is flair?
Erythema
What is wheal?
Localized edema
How long does it take for the skin testing reaction to occur? How long does it last?
5-15 minutes; less than 30 minutes
What are the consequences of Type II immune hypersensitivity?
Opsonization
Complement-mediated cell or tissue damage
Altered signaling if antigen is a cell-surface receptor
Which Ig are involved with Type II immune hypersensitivity?
IgG & IgM
What are some diseases mediated by Type II immune hypersensitivity?
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, Pemphigus vulgaris, Goodpasture’s syndrome, Acute rheumatic fever, Myasthenia graves, Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism), Pernicious anemia
Hemolytic anemia utilizes which consequence of Type II immune hypersensitivity?
Opsonization
Autoantibody to RBC cell surface antigens binds, complement is activated, and cells are coated with C3b. As these cells pass through the spleen, they are phagocytized by splenic macrophages, leading to anemia. This is an example of Type II hypersensitivity.
Hemolytic anemia
If no avenues of treatment work for hemolytic anemia, what can you do?
Remove the spleen.
Rh(+) = has antigens on RBC
Rh(+) father & Rh(-) mother are pregnant with 1st child. Rh antigens from developing fetus can enter mother’s blood during delivery, to which she will respond by producing anti-Rh antibodies. During her next pregnancy with another Rh(+) fetus, her antibodies will cross the placenta and damage fetal red blood cells. This is an example of Type II hypersensitivity.
Hemolytic anemia of the newborn
Autoantibody to desmosomes (responsible for keeping skin together; like glue) to which the cell responds by contracting its cytoskeleton, causing the cells to pull apart. This is an example of Type II sensitivity.
Pemphigus vulgaris