Immunodeficiency Flashcards
Branches of innate and adaptive immune system
Innate immunity:
- General, not antigen specific but can recognise broad classes e.g. bacteria
- Rapid speed of onset
- Does not alter on repeated exposure
- No memory
Adaptive immunity:
- antigen specific
- Slower response, but more potent
- Subsequent exposure- more effective response
- memory
What is immunodeficiency?
Clinical situations where the immune system is not effective enough to protect the body against infection
What are the 2 types of immunodeficiency?
Primary and secondary
What does 1ary immunodeficiency involve?
Inherent defect within the immune system –> usually genetic
What does 2ary immunodeficiency involve?
Immune system affected due to external causes
What are 5 examples of 2ary causes of immunodeficiency?
- Breakdown in physical barriers
- Protein loss
- Malignancy
- Drugs
- Infection
What is an example of a disease that causes a breakdown in physical barrier?
Cystic Fibrosis –> compromised mucosal barrier in lung which leads to recurrent infection
What can cause protein loss and then immunodeficiency?
Burns, protein losing enteropathy, malnutrition
What is protein losing enteropathy?
a pathological condition in which there is an increased loss of proteins through the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to low serum proteins
How can protein losing enteropathy lead to immunodeficiency?
Lose antibodies (type of protein)
What malignancies can cause immunodeficiency?
Lymphoproliferative disease, myeloma
Which drugs can lead to immunodeficiency?
Steroids, DMARDS, Rituximab, anti-convultants, myelosuppressive
Why can steroids, DMARDS and Rituximab lead to immunodeficiency?
Suppress the immune system (for treatment in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis)
What is myelosuppression?
A condition in which bone marrow activity is decreased, resulting in fewer red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
What infections can lead to immunodeficiency?
HIV, TB
What can phagocytes be classified into?
Phagocytes are classified into neutrophils and monocytes.
Difference in location of function of neutrophils vs macrophages?
Monocytes circulate in blood and then become macrophages once in tissues. Neutrophils function in circulation.
What are pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)?
Phagocytes PRRs which recognise and bind to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).
What are PAMPS?
PAMPs are components of pathogens and can include molecules like peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
What are 2 examples of PAMPs?
peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
How do phagoctes use PRRs?
To detect pathogens
What is the main type of PRR?
Toll-like receptor (TLR)
There are many different types of TLRs. What PAMP does:
a) TLR3
b) TLR4
c) TLR5
recognise?
a) dsRNA (viral RNA in viruses)
b) TLR4 - lipopolysachharide
c) TLR5 - flagellin
Where is LPS found?
Gram-negative bacteria
Where is flagellin found?
Bacteria
What can defects in TLR3 lead to?
Recurrent HSV encephalitis
What type of immunodeficiency is recurrent HSV encephalitis?
1ary
Where are PRRs found? What do they bind?
Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) are receptors located on immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells. They bind to Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs).
What are PAMPs?
A PAMP is a specific arrangement of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids on the surface of a pathogen that signals to a phagocyte that a cell is foreign.
Many different molecules can act as PAMPs, including peptidoglycan, endotoxin and flagellin.
Once the PRR has bound a PAMP, what happens?
An intracellular cascade of events that leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines
These inflammatory cytokines then stimulate other events (e.g. production of CRP by liver)
What is Myd88 and IRAK-4?
Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) is a critical component of the toll-like receptor pathway
IRAK-4 (interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4), in the IRAK family, is a protein kinase involved in signaling innate immune responses from Toll-like receptors
What is IRAK4 deficiency?
IRAK-4 deficiency is an inherited disorder of the immune system (primary immunodeficiency).
Clinical presentation of IRAK4 deficiency?
- Recurrent bacterial infections by pyogenic bacteria
- Especially streptococcus and staphylococcus
- Pneumonia, meningitis, arthritis
- Especially streptococcus and staphylococcus
- Poor inflammatory response
- Susceptibility to infection decreases with age
What is treatment for IRAK4 deficiency?
prophylactic antibiotics, iv immunoglobulin if severe