Immune System Flashcards
What is the immune system?
All cells dedicated to defence
What is immunogen?
Molecule that stimulates the immune system to produce a response
What is an antigen?
Part of the immunogen that reacts with immune effector cells or soluble antibodies
What is an epitope?
Part of antigen that reacts with immune effector cells or soluble antibodies
What is a pathogen?
Any organism with potential to cause disease
What are the 4 main types of pathogens?
Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Parasites
Where do you get white blood cells?
Haematopoiesis
Bone marrow
What are the primary lymphoid organs?
Bone marrow
Thymus
What are the secondary lymphoid organs?
Spleen Adenoids Tonsils Appendix Lymph nodes Peyer's Patches
Describe bone marrow
B cells originate + mature here
T cells originate in it BUT leave at immature stage
Describe thymus
Located above heart
Immature T cells migrate here
What happens to T cells as they mature in thymus?
Move from cortex to medulla
What are secondary lymphoid tissues?
Sites where mature lymphocytes are activated to respond to invading pathogens
Where do lymphatic vessels originate?
In connective tissues, where they collect plasma fluid
What is the plasma fluid called?
Lymph
How is lymph returned?
To blood vessels via thoracic duct
What happens to arriving lymphocytes in lymph nodes?
Segregate in different areas of the lymph nodes
What happens during infection at lymph nodes?
Pathogens are drained in lymph nodes from afferent lymphatic vessels, where they are trapped by dendritic cells + macrophages
What happens when B + T cells meet pathogen?
Activated
Undergo clonal expansion + differentiation
What happens to lymph nodes as lymphocyte numbers increase?
Lymph node increases in size
What is MALT?
Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue
What does MALT include?
Nasopharyngeal lymphatic tissues (tonsils + adenoids) Bronchus associated (Peyer's patches + appendix) Isolated follicles in intestinal mucosa
What are 2 types of immunity?
Innate
Adaptive
Describe innate immunity
Rapid response No memory Fixed Limited specificity Constant during response
Describe adaptive immunity
Slow response (days to weeks) Memory Variable Highly specific Improve during response
What are the cells of innate immunity?
Neutrophils
Eosinophil
Basophil
Monocyte
What are the cells of adaptive immunity?
B cell
T cell
What are the cells of both innate + adaptive immunity?
Macrophages - dendritic cell
What are the immediate innate immune responses?
Barriers
Antimicrobial peptides
Complement system
What are the mechanical barriers?
Epithelial cells joined by tight junctions
Longitudinal flow of air or fluid
Movement of mucus by cilia
What are the chemical barriers?
Fatty acids
Low pH
Enzymes (pepsin)
Salivary enzymes (isozyme)
What are the microbial barriers?
Normal flora
What are the anti-microbial peptides for fungi?
Defensins
Cathelicidins
Histatins
What are the anti-microbial peptides for bacteria?
Defensins
Cathelicidins
Histatins
Lectins
What are the anti-microbial peptides for viruses?
Defensins
Histatins
What is the complement system?
Group of 30 serum + membrane proteins
Act in sequence
Have initial activation = highly regulates enzymatic cascade
What is role of complement system?
Some activated proteins bind covalently to bacteria opsoning them
Bacteria are phagocytosed by cells with complement receptors
Describe classical pathway of complement system
Both antibody dependent/independent
C4b opsonin
Describe alternative pathway of complement system
C3b opsonin
C3a/C5a pro-inflammatory
MAC complex
Describe complement inactivation
EGTA
Complement inhibitors
56 degrees heating
Important role in transplant rejection
What are some other roles of complement system
Recruit phagocytes to the site + regulate inflammatory response
Some products activate B cells
Terminal components generate MAC = lysis of pathogens
What are the main phagocytic cells in phagocytosis?
Neutrophils + mononuclear phagocytes
What are the stages of phagocytosis?
Recognition + attachment
Engulfment
Killing + degradation
What happens in recognition + attachment in phagocytosis?
Opsonin receptors:
Microbe coated in opsonin proteins
Phagocytes express high affinity for
C3b breakdown product of complement + Cd4
What are major opsonins?
IgG
What happens in engulfment in phagocytosis?
After bound to phagocyte receptors
Plasma membrane forms vesicle that encloses particle
Phagosome fuses with lysosomal granule
What happens in killing + degradation in phagocytosis?
Lysosomal enzymes
OR
Reactive O species or reactive N species
What are cytokines secreted by?
Cells that stimulate or inhibit activity
How many cytokines is there?
20
What are cytokines produced by?
Mediators + regulators of innate immunity
Mediators + regulators of adaptive immunity
Stimulators of haematopoiesis
What are mediators + regulators of innate immunity?
Produced by mononuclear phagocytes
What are mediators + regulators of adaptive immunity?
Produced by T lymphocytes
What are stimulators of haematopoiesis?
Produced by bone marrow stromal cells
What are features of inflammation?
Vasodilation
Increased vascular permeability
Leukocyte migration
What do bacterial LPS activate?
Toll like receptors in macrophages
What happens in signal transduction of TLR4 vs bacteria?
TLR4 expressed in macrophages detect bacteria
Bind to receptor to stimulate signal transduction pathway
Activate NF-kB + transcription of genes encoding for pro-inflammatory cytokines
What happens in signal transduction of TLR7 vs ssRNA?
TLR7 detects ssRNA + signal to activate IRF7
= produces IFN-alpha + IFN-beta
IFN-alpha + IFN-beta have anti-viral properties
What are NK cells activated by?
Cytokines IFN-alpha + IFN-beta