Immunodeficiency and Immunosuppression Flashcards

1
Q

What is a T cell immunodeficiency?

A

Cause susceptibility to infections by viruses and facultative intracellular pathogens: decreased function of individual T cells decreased cell-mediated immunity.

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2
Q

What is an inherited T cell immunodeficiency?

A

e.g thymic aplasia. Thymus is underdeveloped or involuted.

Predisposes to mTb

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3
Q

What is an acquired T cell immunodeficiency?

A

e. g loss of CD4+ T cells due to HIV/AIDS

e. g Herpes simplex virus, rotavirus

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4
Q

What clinical sign may someone with a T cell immunodeficiency show?

A

Delayed hypersensitivity skin test

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5
Q

What may B cell deficiencies increase susceptibility for?

A

Pyogenic infections

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6
Q

What is an inherited B cell immunodeficiency?

A

Agammaglobulinaemia (X linked) : Complete or near complete lack of proteins called gamma globulins, including antibodies.

Increased Sinusitis, sepsis, impetigo, pneumonia

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7
Q

Treatment for Agammaglobulinaemia?

A

Treatment includes intravenous infusion of Immunoglobulin and antibiotics.

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8
Q

What may a complement deficiency lead to infection with?

A

Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus.

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9
Q

What is Iatrogenic and therapeutic immunosuppression?

A

Complication of the use of cytotoxic drugs or irradiation in tumour therapy (neutropenic sepsis)

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10
Q

What are Calcineurium inhibitor?

A

Inhibit signal transduction in T cells and IL-2 secretion

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11
Q

What is the role of Rapamycin?

A

targets mTOR signalling pathway in dendritic cells preventing their maturation

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12
Q

What drugs can be given to induce therapeutic immunosupression?

A

Rapamycin, calineurium inhibitor, corticosteroids

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13
Q

Defective interferon alpha receptor likely to be seen with ?

A

Mycobacterial infections e.g TB

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14
Q

C3 deficiencies results in what type of infections?

A

Recurrent pyogenic infections e.g staph aureus

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15
Q

Splenectomy results in…

A

More prone to bacterial infections such as streptococcus pneumonia, Neisseria meningitidis

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16
Q

Defects in interferon gamma receptor predisposes to

A

Mycobacterial infections

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17
Q

Hypercacute rejection results from…

A

Preformed IgM antibodies from the recipient.

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18
Q

Histological features of hyperactute rejection are characterised by

A

Widespread capillary thrombosis and necrosis, PMN infiltrates

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19
Q

IPEX syndrome

A

Dysfunction of the transcription factor FOXP3, widely considered to be the master regulator of the Treg lineage.

Dysfunction of Treg cells and subsequent autoimmune disorders.

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20
Q

What disorders to individuals with IPEX get?

A

Autoimmune disorders E.g psoriasiform, excematous dermatitis, nail dystrophy, autoimmune endocrinopathies, alopecia universalis

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21
Q

Deficiencies in MAC are prone to what infections?

A

Prone to meningococcal infection.

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22
Q

Autografts are

A

Tissues derived from the patient themselves e.g. skin to treat life threatening burns

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23
Q

Isografts are

A

Tissues or organs harvested from an identical twin and for which immune intervention is not required

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24
Q

Allografts

A

Tissues or organs taken from unrelated members of the same species

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25
Q

Xenografts

A

Organs harvested from an unrelated species e.g. the use of replacement heart valves harvested from pigs

26
Q

What is the major immunological basis of allograft rejection?

A

Polymorphism in the MHC

27
Q

How many genes encode MHC ?

A

6

28
Q

How are maternal and paternal MHC alleles expressed?

A

Maternal and paternal alleles are co-dominantly expressed

29
Q

What defines a unique haplotype?

A

An individual’s immunological identity - based on the MHC alleles they express from their parents

30
Q

What assures that no two individuals express the same HLA phenotype?

A

Polymorphism

31
Q

Why is it advantageous for each individual to have a unique haplotype?

A

Can detect when there is foreign antigens

32
Q

What underpins the direct pathway of rejection?

A

Dendritic cells in transplanted organ carried into host

33
Q

Who’s DCs are involved in the direct pathway?

A

Donor APC

34
Q

How do donor APC leave the transplanted organ? Why?

A

Lymphatics not joined so leave organ via vasculature

35
Q

Where does direct pathway occur?

A

Spleen

36
Q

What happens when DC reach the spleen (direct pathway)?

A

Present foreign MHC to foreign T cell repertoire in the spleen.

10% of T-cells often respond and are activated, leading to destruction of the organ

37
Q

Why is the direct pathway transient?

A

Controlled by DCs with limited lifespans (1-2weeks) not being replaced by recipient bone marrow.

38
Q

What happens in the indirect pathway of rejection?

A

When DCs die, release the alloantigens (foreign MHC), these are acquired by recipients own APCs.

Activates a different set of alloreactive T-cells.

39
Q

Who’s DCs are involved in the indirect pathway?

A

Host

40
Q

Does direct or indirect produce a larger T cell response

A

Indirect less destructive as less T-cells (one in 10^6) will respond compared to 10% in direct

41
Q

Is direct or indirect rejection pathway more long lasting?

A

Indirect permanent chronic response - alloantigen can be released through the full lifespan of organ.

42
Q

What are minor Histocompatibility (mH) Antigens? (5)

A

ABO blood group antigens

Epitopes from naturally-occurring polymorphic proteins

Retrovirally-encoded antigens

Mitochondrial proteins

Male-specific gene products encoded on the nonrecombining arm of the Y chromosome (women are not tolerant of these - women reject tissues from male donors)

43
Q

Who is the best transplant donor and why?

A

Identical twin is the best source of tissues since all HLA loci and mH antigens are shared, avoiding transplant rejection

44
Q

How good are sibling donors?

A

Siblings are ‘haploidentical’ since they share approximately half of their HLA loci and are the next best option

45
Q

Effector Mechanisms in Allograft Rejection

A

CD4+ Th cells

CD8+ Cytotoxic T cells (all cells express MHC I)

NK cells (inhibitory NK receptors)

Alloantibodies and complement

Activated macrophages (release pro-inflammatory cytokines and ROS, largely responsible for damage which leads to the positive feedback in rejection)

46
Q

What is a hyperacute rejection time span?

A

Hours

47
Q

What does a hyperactue rejection involve?

A

Involves pre-formed or ‘natural’ antibodies of the IgM isotype

Binding to endothelial cells causes formation of thrombi in small vessels and organ infarcts.

48
Q

Why do you get RBC lysis in hyperacute rejection?

A

Natural antibodies specific for ABO blood group antigens can fix complement causing RBC lysis

49
Q

What is an acute rejection time span?

A

2-3 weeks

50
Q

What is acute rejection driven by?

A

Driven by the direct pathway of alloantigen presentation

The high precursor frequency of alloreactive T cells inflicts rapid and significant tissue damage (polyclonal response)

51
Q

What is a chronic rejection time span?

A

Occurs over months or years (full lifespan)

52
Q

What is chronic rejection driven by?

A

Driven by the indirect pathway of alloantigen presentation

53
Q

What is Graft vs Host Disease (GvHD)?

A

Rejection of host tissues by mature T cells from the donor carried over in the graft e.g. liver

54
Q

Why is GvHD so dramatic?

A

Up to 10% of donor T cells are recipient’s own MHC resulting in a dramatic polyclonal response and cytokine storm

55
Q

When is GvHD most frequently seen?

A

Most frequently observed following bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of haematological malignancy: bone marrow contains mature donor T cells.

56
Q

Infection most likely to show increased incidence in an immunodeficient child suffering from CGD

A

Staph aureus infection

57
Q

Infection most likely to show increased incidence in an immunodeficient child suffering from defective interferon-gamma receptor

A

TB

58
Q

Infection most likely to show increased incidence in an immunodeficient child suffering from inability to synthesise IgA

A

E. coli gastro-enteritis

59
Q

Infection most likely to show increased incidence in an immunodeficient child suffering from congenital thymic aplasia

A

TB

60
Q

Infection most likely to show increased incidence in an immunodeficient child suffering from inability to make complement C3

A

Staph aureus infection