Immunity to microbial infection. Flashcards
Name some antimicrobial factors present within the oral cavity
- Lysozymes
- IgA, IgM, IgG
- Defensins
- Histatins
- LL-37
What does lysozyme fo?
It cleaves the bond between the peptidoglycan layer and bacterial cell wall
This allows access for antimicrobial peptides to reach the bacteria
Name the most abundant class of antibodies present in our saliva
IgA
Describe host defence peptides (HDPs)
Short cationic peptides present in the saliva and GCD
Where are host defence peptides (HDPs) produced?
Produced from the salivary glands, leukocytes and epithelial cells
What does it mean when we describe a molecule as cationic?
It has an overall positive charge
Name the 3 main families of host defence peptides (HDPs)
- LL-37 (Cathelicidin)
- Defensins
- Histatins
What can host defence peptides (HDPs) do?
- They have direct bactericidal activity
- Antiviral activity
- They can recruit immune cells
- Can actuate immune cells
Name the 2 main families of Defensins
Alpha
Beta
Describe human defensins
They are short peptides with a conserved pattern of 6 paired cysteine residues and 3 disulphide bonds
Where is human Defensin found
Expressed widely throughout the whole body
For human Defensins to be activated what needs to happen
They need to be proteolytically cut to release the active molecule
Where are alpha defensins made
Produced by neutrophils
What is another name for alpha defensins
Human neutrophil peptide (HNP)
How many alpha defensins are expressed orally?
4
What encodes the 4 HNPs that are expressed orally?
3 defensin alpha gens (DEFA)
They are 29-35 amino acids Long
Name the 3 HNPs that are present in high abundance in the oral cavity
HNP1
HNP2
HNP3
What are the differences between HNP1, HNP2, HNP3
HNP1 and HNP3 differ by one amino acid only (they are the same length)
Removal of that one amino acid forms HNP2 (This means HNP2 is one amino acid shorter than the other 2)
How are alpha defensins stored?
In primary azurophil granules
What happens to alpha defensins in periodontitis
Found increased levels of alpha defensin
List some of the antimicrobial activities of alpha defensins
- Active in vitro against a range of bacteria including oral pathogens like S mutans, P gingivalis and A. actinomycetescomitans
- Active against Candida albicans
- Some antiviral activity
What is Morbus Kostmann?
A generalised neutropenia
What happens to alpha denfesins in a patent with Morbus Kostmann?
Alpha defensin levels decrease
What happens to alpha denfesins in an edentulous patient?
Alpha defensin levels decrease
Other than antimicrobial activity what else can alpha Defensins do?
They have an immune regulatory activity
List some of the immune regulatory activities of alpha defensins
- HNP1-3 are directly chemotactic for monocytes
- They can increase neutrophil recruitment
- Promote the induction of adaptive immune response through the activation of dendritic cells