immunodeficiency Flashcards
what is the main function of the immune system?
to protect from infection
what is required in order to protect from infection?
recognise pathogens, mount immune response (need cell to cell communication), clear pathogen which may require adaptive, and self regulation to minimise host damage
what are the characteristics of innate immunity?
same response everytime - use generic molecules and no memory - barriers, pathogen recognition, cellular are complement, rapid onset, does not alter on repeated exposure
what are the characteristics of adaptive immunity?
it is antigen specific and therefore will recognise particular molecules - slower. This can be induced through vaccination, and then the second time exposed to bug it is more robust through memory
what are the types of innate immune response?
barriers and chemical mechanisms, cellular (natural killer and phagocytes), complement and pathogen recognition
what are types of adaptive immune response?
`humoral (ABs and B cells) and cellular (B and T cells)
what is immunodeficiency and what is the more common type?
when the immune system cannot protect itself / is not effective enough to protect body against infection as it is not functioning properly. Secondary dysfunction is more common
what is primary immunodeficiency?
an inherent defect within the immune system that is generally genetic
what is secondary immunodeficiency?
when the immune system is affected due to external causes e.g. HIV
what are some causes of secondary immunodeficiency?
breakdown in physical barriers - CF
protein loss - protein losing enteropathy, malnutrition and burns
drugs - DMARS, steroids, myelosupressives, anti-convulants, rituximab
infection - HIV and TB
malignancy - lymphoproliferative disease and myeloma
how can CF causes secondary immunodeficiency?
mucus accumulation along with other physical manifestations resulting in not being able to clear so more infection pone and protein and Ig losing
what do myelosupressives do?
they knock out the bone marrow so affect the production of B cells
why does blood cancer result in secondary immunodeficiency?
the cloning of cells in the immune system and takes up space
what are the two main cells in innate immunity?
macrophages - long lived
neutrophils - short lived
what is the basis of defects in innate immunity?
diseases associated with removing the dead bacteria once they have been phagocytosed
what do pathogen recognition receptors do?
they recognised conserved pathogen associated molecular patterns which are unique to each pathogen and ensure do not react to self antigen resulting in tolerance
what is an example of PAMP and what recognises it?
lipopolysaccharide and TLR4 (toll like receptor) recognises LPS which tend to repeat sequences
where are PAMPS?
they are on pathogenic cells not host cells
what do phagocytes use to recognise pathogens?
PRRs
what is TLR3 and 5?
without TLR3 we cannot recognise and get rid of viruses, TLR5 is found on some bacteria - flagellin
what is the process of PRR?
the receptor recognises, the cascade leads to interferon and cytokine release resulting in an immune response
what defects lead to a cell being prone to infection?
defects in IRAK4 and MyD88
what is the cell wall of LPS made of?
there is the outer and inner membrane and inbetween there is peptidoglycan
what is the LPS made of?
Lipid A, core, O-polysaccharide
what are clinical presentations of immune response?
pneumococcus will show consolidation on CXR, raised CRP in infection indicates inflammation
why may an individual not feel unwell?
if cytokines are not being released or in a poor inflammatory response where CRP is not raised
how would a poor immune response be detected?
normal levels of Igs, lymphocytes and neutrophils
how will an IRAK4 deficiency present?
recurrent bacterial infection (especially streptococcus and staphylococcus) - pneumonia, meningitis and arthritis, poor inflammatory response, susceptibility to infection increasing with age - similar presentation to MyD88
how would you treat IRAK4 deficiency?
prophylactic antibiotics - IV Ig if severe
what will happen if there is a defect in TLR3?
it is for viral RNA and therefore will lead to recurrent HSV encephalitis