List 4 methods for boosting the immune response.
List 4 methods for suppressing the immune response.
What event in history showed us that immune memory exists?
Measles and memory – a 1781 epidemic on the Faroe Islands proved immune memory existed and protected people for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t until after this generation passed away that another measles pandemic broke out
Adaptive immune response to vaccination:
APCs
APCs present peptides to T cells to initiate an acquired immune response.
APCs include:
What are the two main components of immunological memory?
Describe the process of clonal expansion (including T and B cells).
T cells with appropriate specificity will proliferate and differentiate –> effector cells (cytokine secreting, cytotoxic)
B cells with appropriate specificity will proliferate –>
Which cell population is most involved in immunological memory?
CD8 +ve T cells
Activated when antigen is presented to CD8 +ve T cells through APCs –> clonal expansion and one of two fates: death by apoptosis (MOST) or survival as memory cells.
In generation of immunological memory, what aids clonal expansion of CD8 +ve T cells?
IL-2 from T helper cells

B cell response

Summarise the characteristics of the T and B cell memory responses.
T cells:
B cell memory:
How is longevity of the T cell memory response maintained?
By continual low-level proliferation in response to cytokines
What do we want from a vaccine?
What is the protective immunological factor in influenza?
Although CD8 T cells control the virus load in influenza, it is antibody which provides a protective response
What is target for vaccines in influenza and why?
HA (haemagglutinin) - this is the receptor-binding and membrane fusion glycoprotein of influenza and the target for infectivity-neutralising Abs
How do you detect antibodies to Influenza?
Antibodies can be detected using a haemagglutinin inhibition assay__: add patient’s serum (at various dilutions) to a plate of RBC and Influenza virus

What receptor on RBC is responsible for haemagluttination?
Sialic acid receprors on RBC bind to the HA of influenza virus
Inhibited by antibodies to HA
Can you measure the level of HA antibodies in influenza using this assay?
The higher the dilution with an inhibitory effect, the greater level of antibodies the patient has against HA
Higher antibody means lower risk of infection

When does protection begin and how long does it last with the influenza vaccine?
Antibody protection begins 7 days after vaccine and protection can last for around 6 months
What type of vaccine is the BCG vaccine?
Attenuated strain of bovine TB
What is the role of the BCG vaccine for TB?
Which cellular response is most important in the BCG vaccine?
T cell response is important in protection
Describe the use of the Mantoux test and its results. What does a wheal of >10mm indicate?
Mantoux Test – previous exposure to TB:
Positive reaction wheal:

B and T cells
Which of these vaccines should you not give to an immunosuppressed individual?
BCG is live; some influenza vaccines can also be live but here it was specific that it was inactivated.
