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HSS 1100 > Immunity > Flashcards

Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two types of immunity?

A

Non-specific (natural, innate) immunity
- can’t distinguish between pathogens
- causes fever (quick) but no memory
Specific (acquired, adaptive) immunity
- different isn’t pathogen by antigens
- specific response for each pathogen (takes longer)

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2
Q

What are the key features of non-specific immunity?

A
  • Skin: mechanical barrier, acid pH, and temp reg.
  • Mucous membrane: cilia, lysosomes, and pH reg
  • Iron-binding proteins (transferrin)
  • Phagocytosis by WBC and macrophages
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3
Q

What is humoral immunity?

A
  • involves circulating antibodies in body fluids to attack specific pathogens
  • antibodies are produced by B-lymphocytes in response to antigens
  • Antibody production is regulated by T-helper and T-suppressor cells
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4
Q

What is the role of B-lymphocytes in humoral immunity?

A
  • B-lymphocytes produce antibodies
  • they require antigen-presenting cells for activation
  • T-helper cells help regulate antibody production
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5
Q

What is an antibody (Ab) and it’s function, what is it produced by and what are the 5 types?

A

An immunoglobulin produced in response to an antigen
- can distinguish foreign macromolecules from body cells
- Produced by B-cells (plasma cells)
- Includes five types: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD

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6
Q

What is an antigen (Ag), what does it stimulate, what can it be made of and what does it have?

A

A substance recognized as “non-self” by the body
- Stimulates antibody production
- Can be a protein, glycoprotein, lipoprotein, or polysaccharide
- Bacterial cells have antigens like capsules, flagella, and cell walls

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7
Q

What are the properties of IgG?

A
  1. main antibody in immune response
  2. can cross the placenta to protect the newborn
  3. has 2 combining sites for antigen attachment
  4. binds phagocytes and macrophages for destruction
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8
Q

What are the properties of IgM?

A
  • Made of five units joined together
  • First immune globulin produced in early immune responses
  • Does not cross the placenta
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9
Q

What is the primary immune response?

A
  • Occurs when an antigen is introduced for the first time
  • Delayed antibody production (5-10 days), peaks at 3 weeks, then drops
  • Initial response shows a lag period
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10
Q

What is the secondary immune response?

A
  • Occurs when the antigen is reintroduced
  • Faster antibody production (2-3 days) with a longer-lasting peak
  • Basis for booster injections and immunization
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11
Q

What is the serological reaction?

A
  • Detects antibodies in a serum sample
  • Quantifies antibody levels through titration
  • Can identify unknown microorganisms with known antisera
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12
Q

What is cell-mediated immunity (CMI)?

A
  • Involves T-cell subpopulations without antibodies
  • Active against intracellular organisms (e.g., viruses, parasites)
  • Important in defense against tumor cells and foreign cells (e.g., transplants)
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13
Q

What are Antigen Presenting Cells (APCs)?

A
  • Immune cells that display antigens to trigger immune responses
  • Drive humoral or cell-mediated immunity, depending on the antigen type
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14
Q

How does the immune system vary?

A
  • It can be affected by factors such as age, race, stress, and nutritional status
  • These factors can influence the strength and effectiveness of the immune response
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15
Q

What happens in allergic and hypersensitivity reaction?

A
  • overreaction to antigens without infection
  • can lead to anaphylaxis
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16
Q

What are the four harmful effects of the immune response?

A
  • Allergy and hypersensitivity
  • Auto-immune diseases
  • Immunodeficiency states
  • Graft rejection
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17
Q

What are auto-immune disease?

A
  • the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue
  • formation of auto-antibodies that target self-materials
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18
Q

What are immunodeficiency states?

A
  • Lack of ability to produce antibodies or cell-mediated immunity
  • Can result from congenital issues, irradiation, or diseases like AIDS
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19
Q

What is graft rejection?

A
  • The immune system recognizes transplanted organs (e.g., kidney, heart) as foreign and rejects them
  • Requires immunosuppressive drugs to prevent harm to the patient
20
Q

What is passive immunization and what are the risks?

A
  • Administration of preformed antibodies (IgG) against a pathogen
  • Immediate protection but short-lived (lasts about 10 days for animal-derived IgG)
  • Risks: hypersensitivity reactions (serum sickness, anaphylaxis)
21
Q

What is the difference between human and animal-derived IgG in passive immunization?

A
  • Animal-derived IgG: foreign to the immune system, carries risk of hypersensitivity
  • Human-derived IgG: shorter-lasting, but no risk of hypersensitivity
22
Q

What is active immunization?

A
  • Stimulating the body’s immune system by administering a vaccine (antigen or immunogen)
  • Longer-lasting protection compared to passive immunization
  • produces memory cell
23
Q

Active immunization - What are live attenuated vaccines?

A
  • Modified viruses that cause mild illness to stimulate immunity
  • Provide both local (IgA) and humoral (IgG) immunity
  • Can cause serious disease in immunocompromised individuals
24
Q

Active immunization - What are killed vaccines, subunit vaccines, and toxoids?

A
  • Non-infective vaccines requiring multiple injections for effective immunity
  • Toxoids (e.g., tetanus) are administered with adjuvants to enhance immunity
25
Q

Active immunization - What are recombinant vaccines and give an example?

A
  • Produced by DNA technology, avoiding live virus risks
  • Example: Hepatitis B vaccine
26
Q

Active immunization - What are adsorbed vaccines and give an example?

A
  • Mixed with inorganic salts (e.g., alum) to ensure prolonged immunity
  • Example: Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids
27
Q

Active immunization - What are conjugate vaccines and give an example?

A
  • Polysaccharide capsules linked to a protein to make them immunogenic
  • Example: Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
28
Q

Active immunization - What are combined vaccines?

A
  • Vaccines containing multiple components (e.g., multiple live or killed vaccines)
  • Facilitate administration by combining different vaccines
29
Q

What is combined active-passive immunization and give examples?

A
  • Provides both immediate protection through passive immunization and long-term immunity via active immunization
  • Example: Tetanus, hepatitis B, and rabies exposure
30
Q

What is the history and significance of antibiotic resistance?

A
  • Antibiotics were groundbreaking in the 1940s and 1950s but have become less effective over time
  • Resistance leads to higher morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs
31
Q

What is intrinsic resistance?

A

A predictable resistance based on the antibiotic’s mechanism of action and microbial characteristics

32
Q

What is the production of inactivating enzymes of antibiotics?

A

bacteria produces enzymes to inactivate the bacteria

33
Q

What are the main reasons for antibiotic resistance?

A
  • Overuse in agriculture and aquaculture
  • Misuse in human medicine (especially in developing countries)
  • Immunocompromised patients harboring resistant bacteria
34
Q

What is acquired resistance?

A
  • When a previously susceptible organism becomes resistant to an antibiotic
35
Q

What are the key mechanisms of acquired antibiotic resistance?

A
  • Alteration in drug target
  • Production of inactivating enzymes
  • Decreased antibiotic uptake
36
Q

What are the main types of antibiotic resistance mechanisms?

A
  • Altered Target
  • Inactivating Enzymes
  • Decreased Uptake
  • Efflux
37
Q

What is transformation in antibiotic resistance?

A

Uptake of free DNA from the environment and incorporation into the bacterial genome

38
Q

What is the resistance mechanism for decreased uptake of antibiotics?

A
  • Altered outer-membrane proteins that stops antibiotic from entering
39
Q

How can antibiotic resistance genes be transmitted?

A

Through the bacterial chromosome or extrachromosomal entities like plasmids

40
Q

What is the resistance mechanism for efflux?

A
  • New membrane transport system
  • Affects Erythromycin, fluoroquinolones, tetracycline
41
Q

What is conjugation in antibiotic resistance?

A
  • Exchange of DNA via direct cell-to-cell contact using conjugative pili
  • Involves plasmids that replicate independently in bacteria
42
Q

What is transduction in antibiotic resistance?

A

Transfer of genetic material via bacteriophages (viruses) that accidentally carry bacterial DNA

43
Q

What is the chromosomal alteration mechanism for antibiotic resistance?

A

Mutation of chromosomal genes that encode the antibiotic target site or control pathways like efflux, permeability, and uptake

44
Q

What is the Mar phenotype in antibiotic resistance?

A
  • A multiple antibiotic resistance phenotype linked to the mar locus on bacterial chromosomes
  • Activated by mutations, resulting in resistance to multiple drugs
45
Q

What is transposition in antibiotic resistance?

A
  • Movement of antibiotic resistance genes between DNA molecules (chromosomes to plasmids)
  • Conjugative transposons and integrons play key roles in this process

HSS 1100 (4 decks)

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