Immunology Flashcards
Serology or Immunology
The detection and measurement of antigens or antibodies
Antigen is defined as…
Any substance that is capable of generating a response from the immune system
AKA: Foreign protein
More specifically, an Antigen can be…
Specific sites on a bacterium, virus, fungus, protozoan, stinger, insect saliva, incompatible red blood cell, allergens
What do immunology tests primarily measure?
Antibodies and Antigens
What are antigen and antibody complexes?
Invisible. We can’t see them under a microscope
What do many tests use to create a visible color change?
Monoclonal antibodies
What does monoclonal mean?
A very specific type
What are these specific monoclonal antibody tests test for?
A specific foreign protein or antigen coming from an outside source or the host’s immune response to that foreign protein
Finds the exact disease we are looking for
What is flea dermatitis?
An antigenic reaction to the flea saliva
What are the two defense systems?
Innate/nonspecific immunity
Adaptive/specific/acquired immunity
What does Innate/nonspecific Immunity include?
Physical (skin) Chemical (nose, GI) Commensal (good) bacteria Inflammation Phagocytes Natural killer cells
What is always there to protect you?
The Innate/nonspecific Immunity
What is the Adaptive/specific/acquired immunity branched into?
The Humoral and cell mediated
Humoral immunity
Antibodies produced by B lymphocytes and secreted into the body’s fluid or “humors”
What does the humoral immunity utilize?
B lymphocytes
What do the B lymphocytes do?
Convert to plasma cells, which creates the antibodies
What does the cell mediated branch utilize?
Helper T cells and Cytolytic T cells
What are the physical and chemical barriers of the innate immune system?
Skin
Physical & biochemical components of the nasophaynx, gut, lungs, or GI tract
Population of commensal bacteria that compete with the invading pathogens
What is the inflammatory response of the innate immune system?
Chemicals released from infected site allow neutrophils to pass into tissue to phagocytize bacteria & kill pathogens
What are the 5 signs of inflammation?
Pain Heat Redness Swelling Loss of function
Chemicals released from the infected site allow ______ to pass into tissues to _____ bacteria and kill _______
Neutrophils
Phagocytize
Pathogens
What are the cells of inflammation?
Neutrophils
Monocytes
What do the monocytes do?
Follow the neutrophils
Ingest and destroy antigens
What are monocytes called when they migrate into tissues?
Macrophages
Where are macrophages derived from?
Tissues
Where are macrophages located?
Liver, brain, connective tissue spleen, lung, bone marrow & lymph nodes
What do macrophages make up?
the mononuclear phagocytic system
What is the process called when a cell leaves the blood and enters the tissue?
Diapedesis
What are the non-phagocytic cells?
Natural killer cells
Interferons
Complement System
What are Natural Killer Cells
Type of lymphocyte
What is the job of Natural Killer Cells
To recognize & destroy host cells infected with microbes viruses, cancer cells
Activate phagocytes by releasing interferon-y
Interferons
Cytokines (chemicals) that elicit cellular reactions
What do Interferons prevent?
Viral replication
What is a large group of proteins in the blood?
Complement system
What is the Complement Cascade?
Three pathways that catalyze a series of reactions that have numerous effects and end with Opsonization
Opsonization
The binding of complement to the antigen
What does Opsonization allow for?
The antigen and antibody complex to form
What happens if an antigen gets past the innate immune system?
The adaptive immune system is triggered to take over
Why is the specific immune system named so?
Because it creates memory cells
What do memory cells do?
Remember a specific antigen so it is able to fight it again
Adaptive Immune System
Responds specifically to foreign substances
What are examples of Extra cellular antigen or microbe?
Foreign red blood cells
Things that are on the surface of the cell itself
Examples of intracellular anitgens or microbes?
Viruses or something that has already been phagocytized
What do extracellular or surface microbs/antigens activate?
The Humoral or antibody-mediated immune system or B cells
B cells turn to plasma cells which create antibodies
What do the antibodies do?
They either kill the cell or show it to another cell or block it
What are antibodies?
Specific proteins made by the B lymphocytes or plasma cells. They are not cells
What do intracellular antigens/microbes activate?
Cell-mediated immunity or T-cells
What do helper T cells do?
Recognize a phagocytized antigen brought to it by an antigen presenting cell (APC)
Help initiate the phagocytic cells
What are considered super Natural Killer Cells?
Cytolytic T-Lymphocytes
What do Cytolytic T- Cells do?
Kill an infected cell right there
Only activated with persistent antigens
What are more of a continuation from the Innate immune system?
Lymphocytes
What presents the antigen to the lymphocyte?
Macrophages
What develop in yolk sacs & then fetal liver & then move to bone marrow near birth?
Stem cells
What are lymphocytes destined to mature into?
Either B-lymphocytes or T-lymphocytes
Where are B-lymphocytes mature?
Bone Marrow
Humoral
What do B-lymphocytes do?
Produce immunoglobins
Where are T-lymphocytes mature?
The thymus
Cell-mediated
What is the maturation process of Lymphocytes?
Lymphoblast, prolymphocyte, and Lymphocyte
Where do mature lymphocytes leave
The bone marrow
Where do mature lymphocytes enter and what do they encounter there?
Spleen or lymph nodes
Antigens
What does each B cell develop?
A specific receptor molecule to a specific antigen
What happens each time the antigen enters the body?
The B cell reacts to it
What shape are Antibodies (immunoglobulins)?
Y-shaped
What are the different regions of the anitbodies (immunoglobulins)
2 variable regions and 1 constant region
What does the variable region do?
Binds to the antigen
What does the constant region do?
Recognized the unique function of different antibody classes
IgM Antibodies
Large
Produced first when the body sees a new foreign protein
What is the job of IgM antibodies?
To activate compliment
IgG Antibodies
The most abundant
Smaller than IgM
What is the job of IgG antibodies?
To neutralize microbes and toxins
Mark antigens for phagocytosis
Activate compliment
Maternal antibodies via the colostrum
IgE Antibodies
Will be present for: Allergies Anaphylaxis Eosinophils Parasites
IgA Antibodies
Found in mucosal antibodies
Eyes, Nose, Mouth
IgD Antibodies
Helps with B lymphocyte surface antigen receptor
Not present in all species
Epitope
Shape of the puzzle piece or unique shape on the antigen
What is the part of the antigen the antibody needs to be specific for?
Epitope
What are the different kinds of antibodies?
Neutralization antibodies
Coating antibodies
Lysis antibodies
Precipitation antibodies
Neutralization antibodies
Binds directly with an antigen
What happens to the antigen once it is bound to Neutralization antibodies?
It cannot infect cells
What do coating antibodies do?
Coat an antigen for phagocytosis
What do the coating antibodies do in the presence of parasites?
Coat the parasitic antigen for eosinophils to bind and destroy
What do lysis antibodies cause?
The cell to break open (lysis)
What do precipitation antibodies cause?
Cause the antigens to clump together
Happens with agglutination
What is immunologic tolerance?
The immune system is acting appropriately and not destroying their own cells
Can discriminate between self and not self
What causes immunologic tolerance to not work properly
Autoimmune diseases
What is passive immunity?
A transfer of pre-formed antibodies from one animal to another animal
What are examples of passive immunity?
Maternal antibodies in colostrum
Received preformed antibodies by injection
How are preformed anitbodies received by injection?
Antibodies produced in a donor animal and given by injection or transfusion
Antibodies are short lived but immediate
What does active immunity mean?
The body went through a process to make antibodies
How do animals develop make antibodies
Becoming resistant by either exposure to the disease and developing antibodies or by immunization
Are memory cells created in passive immunity?
No just active immunity
What side of the immune system do vaccines fall under?
The active side
What are the two most common types of vaccines?
Inactivated (killed)
Attenuated (Modified Live)
Inactivated (killed) vaccines
Whole pathogens or subunits
What is an advantage of inactivated vaccines?
Unable to cause the disease
Rabies
What is a disadvantage of inactivated vaccines?
Antigen may be inadequate
Require addition of adjuvants as booster
Possible cause of hypersensitivity
Attenuated (Modified Live)
Pathogens alive but altered so as not to cause disease but still infect host cells to stimulate immunity
What is an advantage of attenuated live vaccine?
Stimulate immunity more naturally and efficaciously
Get more of an immune response
What is a disadvantage of the attenuated live vaccine?
Some types can cause the disease
Which vaccine requires repeated doses but are safer?
Inactivated (killed)
Which vaccine causes strong, long-lasting immunity but can still cause the disease?
Attenuated
What is an Ideal vaccine?
Safe, effective, with no undesirable side effects
What are important in preventative medicine?
Vaccines
What are Recombinant vaccines?
Produced through DNA technology
Safe and effective
Rare and expensive
What are the different types of vaccines?
Subunit
Gene-deleted
Vectored
Toxoid vaccines
Bacterial toxin is administered and the body produces antibodies
What is an example of a toxoid vaccine
Tetanus
What are we actually vaccinating against when administering a toxoid vaccine
A toxin the bacteria produces
Anti-toxin/Antisera
Antibodies are administered post exposure
Short lived
What must be stored, mixed, and administered properly and a recommended schedule be followed?
Vaccines
What are complications that can occur with vaccines
Too young (maternal antibodies)
Compromised
Adjuvant may not perform adequately
Antigenic drift (ex. Canine parvovirus)
Antigenic drift
The epitope has changed so some vaccines may be outdated
What are common adverse vaccine reactions?
Slight fever
Lethargy
Soreness
Clients should be warned
What are severe (rare) adverse vaccine reactions?
Vomiting Salivation Incoordination urticaria Dyspnea
What is an example of an adverse vaccine reaction that cats get?
Fibrosarcoma
What is an example of an adverse vaccine reaction that dogs get?
IMHA
Thrombocytopenia
