Immuno Flashcards
Lymph drainage: What does the right lymphatic duct drain?
Right arm and right half of head
Lymph drainage: What does the thoracic duct drain?
Everything except for the right arm and the right half of head
Splenic sinusoids: What are they?
Long, vascular channels in red pulp with fenestrated “barrel hoop” basement membrane and macrophages nearby. Adjacent to splenic cords and contain blood.
How can the spleen be distinguished from a lymph node on histologic section?
Spleens have no subscapsular sinus and no cortex or medulla. They have white pulp and red pulp.
What does the white pulp of the spleen contain?
Contains:
- Lymphoid follicles with germinal centers (mostly B cells). Can see aggregation of dark basophilic lymphocytic nuclei.
- Characteristic central arterioles. Surrounded by a Periarterial lymphatic sheath (PALS) which is a collection of T-lymphocytes.
Where is the red pulp of the spleen located?
Around and between the lymphatic nodules of the white pulp
Splenic cords: What are they?
Structures containing macrophages, plasma cells, lymphocytes, and few RBCs. Separated from each other by splenic sinusoids.
Thymus: Function
Site of T-cell differentiation and maturation (T cells differentiate in the Thymus. B cells differentiate in the Bone marrow)
Thymus: Embryological origin
Epithelium of 3rd branchial pouches
Lymphocytes: Embryological origin
Mesenchyme
Thymus: What does the cortex contain and what does it look like?
The lobules resemble lymphatic nodules except they are angular, not round.
Contains:
- Densely packed (dark) immature T cells.
- Large epithelial reticular cells which appear as holes within the cortical cells.
Thymus: What does the medulla contain and what does it look like?
Pale
Contains:
Thymic (Hassall’s) corpuscles which have a lamellated or whorled appearance due to degenerating epithelial reticular cells.
What is positive selection of T cells?
Retention of T cells that have functioning T cell receptors
Where do positive and negative selection of T-cells occur in the thymus?
At the corticomedullary junction
What is negative selection of T cells?
Destruction of T-cells that react to self-antigen
Innate immunity vs adaptive immunity: How are receptors that recognize pathogens encoded?
Innate: Germline encoded
Adaptive: Undergo VDJ recombination during development
Innate immunity vs adaptive immunity: How fast is response to pathogens?
Innate: Always fast, no memory response.
Adaptive: Slow on 1st exposure but memory response is faster and more robust.
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: Neutrophils
Innate immunity
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: Macrophages
Innate immunity
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: Dendritic cells
Innate immunity
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: Complement
Innate immunity
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: T cells
Adaptive immunity
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: B cells
Adaptive immunity
Innate immunity or adaptive immunity: Circulating antibody
Adaptive immunity
T-cell differentiation: Where do T-cell precursors come from and where do they go?
From the bone marrow to the thymus
T-cell differentiation: What CD?
CD3
T-cell differentiation: What happens to T-cell precursors when they enter the thymus, and what are they called?
Once T-cell precursors acquire and display CD4 and CD8, they are cortical thymocytes.
T-cell differentiation: Where is the T-cell in its development when it undergoes positive selection?
Both CD4 positive and CD8 positive
T-cell differentiation: Where in the thymus are cells which are positive for both CD4 and CD8 located?
Thymic cortex
T-cell differentiation: Where is the T-cell in its development when it undergoes negative selection?
Either CD4 positive or CD8 positive, not both
T-cell differentiation: Where in the thymus are cells which are positive for either CD4 or CD8 located?
Thymic medulla
T-cell differentiation: What are the two types of helper T cells and where do they differentiate?
In the lymph node, helper T cells differentiate into Th1 cells, and Th2 cells.
Differences between Th1 and Th2 cells: Stimulant for differentiation from archetypical helper T cell.
Th1: IL-12 from both other Th1 cells and antigen-presenting dendritic cells
Th2: IL-4 from other Th2 cells and presumably an unknown factor from dendritic cells
Differences between Th1 and Th2 cells: Cytokines produced by both types
Both: IL-2
Th1: IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha
Th2: IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13
Cytokine effects: Interleukin 2
Stimulates T-cell growth and proliferation
Mnemonic for first 5 interleukins: Hot T-bone stEAk
Cytokine effects: Interferon gamma
- Inhibits Th2 cytokines
- Induces class I and II MHC
- Stimulates differentiation of monocytes into macrophages.
- Activates macrophages.
Cytokine effects: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha
- Activates macrophages, neutrophils (also attracts them), and CD8 cells.
- Induces neutrophil-endothelial cell adhesion.
- Constitutional: sepsis, cachexia (“wasting away”), fever, acute phase proteins.
- Tumor cell lysis
- Increased proliferation of B-cells
- Increased synthesis of IL-2 receptors by Th cells.
- Stimulates dendritic cell migration to lymph nodes.
Cytokine effects: Interleukin 4
- Growth of B-cells
- Growth and proliferation of T-cells
- Synthesis of IgE
- Class switching of IgG to IgE
- Inhibits IL-8, IL-1, and TNF-alpha
Mnemonic for first 5 interleukins: Hot T-bone stEAk. E as in stimulates IgE production.
Cytokine effects: Interleukin 5
- Differentiation of B cells 2. Class switching of IgA
- Production and activation of eosinophils
Mnemonic for first 5 interleukins: Hot T-bone stEAk. A as in stimulates IgA production.
What cytokines stimulate the acute phase response?
- IL-1
- IL-6
- TNF-alpha
What are acute phase response proteins used for?
- Augment immune response (complement, Ig)
- Regulate the extent of response (protease inhibitors like alpha-1-antitrypsin)
- Stimulate additional responses (alpha-2-macroglobulin)
Cytokine effects: Interleukin 10
Big picture: Stimulates Th2 while inhibiting Th1
Specifically inhibits:
- IL-8
- IL-1
- TNF-alpha
- IFN-gamma
What releases: Interleukin 10
- Th2 cells
2. Macrophages
Differences between Th1 and Th2 cells: Major effects
Both: Downregulate each other
Th1: Activates all lymphocytes and APCs, especially CD8 cells and macrophages.
Th2 cells:
- B cells: Increased differentiation, proliferation, antibody, and class switching.
2: Activation of eosinophils
What releases: Interleukin 2
Th cells
What releases: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha
Macrophages (emphasized) and Th1 cells
What releases: Interferon gamma
Th1 cells (emphasized) and NK cells
What releases: Interleukin 5
T cells (especially Th2) and mast cells
What releases: Interleukin 6
T cells (especially Th), macrophages, and endothelial cells
What is MHC and what codes for it?
Major Histocompatability Complex encoded by Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)
What genes code for MHC I?
- HLA-A
- HLA-B
- HLA-C
What genes code for MHC II?
- HLA-DP
- HLA-DQ
- HLA-DR
MHC I and II: What cells are they expressed on?
I: All nucleated cells except sperm.
II: Antigen Presenting Cells
MHC I and II: Where in the cell is antigen loaded onto the MHC?
I: RER (mostly intracellular peptides)
II: Acidified endosome
B cells and T cells: Effect on Ig
B cells: Make it
T cells: (CD4) Help B cells make it and release IFN-gamma to activate macrophages
B cells and T cells: Method of killing
B cells: IgG opsonizes bacteria and viruses
T cells: (CD8) Directly kills virus-infected cells
B cells and T cells: Allergy mechanism
B: Type I hypersensitivity, through IgE
T: Type IV hypersensitivity
B cells and T cells: Organ rejection speed
B: Fast, through antibodies
T: Slow