Immunology Flashcards
Which innate immune cells are cytotoxic?
Eosinophils, NK cells
What are the secondary lymphoid tissues?
Lymph nodes, spleen, peyer’s patches
What is the structure of an antibody?
FC region - defines the isotype
Varible ragion - infinitely different
What do TCRs detect?
CD8 cells target MHCI bound (cytosolic) peptide
CD4 cells target MHCII bound peptide (endosomal, extracellularly derived, only presentable by pro APCs - B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells)
What is the costimulation moleculre needed for naive T cell activation?
CD28!
What kind of cell can recognise lipid and DNA components as pathogenic?
Only abs and BCRs. T cells can’t do this - they can only recognise peptide.
What’s the third signal that determines the type of T cell the T cell will become?
Cytokines from the APC typically, or the microenvironment activation is occuring.
What are the defining cytokines produced by Th1 cells?
INF-gamma - stimulate macrophage activation. Intracellular killing. Also make TNF alpha which attract macrophages out of circulation.
What are the defining cytokines produced by Th2 cells?
IL-4, IL-5, IL-13. Parasite killing.
What are the defining cytokines produced by Th17 cells?
IL-17, IL-22. Extracellular killing.
Apart from Th1 cells, what other T-cells are involved in killing intracellular pathogens?
CD8- killer T cells
What help signal do Th2 cells provide to B-cells?
Cause isotype switching to IgE
What T cells are involved in type 1 hypersensitive reactions?
Th2
What cell types express Fcepsilon receptors?
Mast cells and eosinophils
What happens once allergen binds to FCe/FCeR complexes?
The cross link and mast and eosinophils degranulate
What are type 2 hypersensitivity reactions?
IgG and IgM mediated - binding to ECM or cell surface antigens and causing inflammation.
What is type III hypersensitivity?
Immuno complex forming disease - ab targeting soluble antigen. Circulate around, eventually lodge somewhere, attract neutrophils and complement and become inflammed.
What is type IV hypersensitivity?
T-cell mediated inflammation.
Do innate lymphoid cells have T cell receptors? Or B-cell receptors?
No, they are activate by cytokines and other mediators produced at their site of residence.
What are the two signalling pathways downstream of the 10 toll like receptors present on immune cells?
1) NF-kappa B and 2) interferon regulatory factors pathways.
Which caspase is activated when intracellular NOD receptors activated?
Via the inflammasome, NOD-like receptors activate Caspase 1, which cleaves the precursor for Interleukin-1, causing it to be released.
How is gout pro-inflammatory?
Urate crystals are recognised by NOD-like receptors, triggering inflammasome activity and IL1 prodcution.
What does a C-type lectin receptor do?
Innate PAMP receptor - present on immune cells. Important for macs and DCs to detect fungi
What do cytosolic RIG like receptors detect? What happens when bound?
Intracytosolic viruses. Causes interferon production. Activate the STING pathway.
What is the STING pathway?
STimulator of Interferon Genes. Ends up producing interferon alpha. Activated by binding to intracellular PAMP/DAMP receptors. Overactive in interferonopathies.
What is that residue that is only on bacterial proteins that leukocytes have receptors for?
N-formylmethionyl. Is also on some mitochondrial proteins, but you know, these are bacteria.
Do NK cells have FC recepotrs?
Yes. They can kill antibody bound targets.
What cytokines stimulate the proliferation of NK cells?
IL-2 and IL15
What cytokines cause NK cells to activate and kill their target cells and secrete IFN-gamma?
IL-12
What is the role of the RAG1/2 genes inmaturing lymphocytes?
Responsible recombination to form the unique lymphocyte receptors (TCR and BCR).
Are the majority of lymphocytes in the blood B cells? T cells? Or something else?
T cells make up 60-70% of circulating lymphocytes.
What constitutes signal two for activation of T cells?
Binding of CD80 (aka, B7, antigen presenting cell side) to CD28 (on the T cell)
What cell marker is ubiquitous to all T cells?
CD3
Whats unique about the gamma delta T cell receptor compared to alpha beta T cell receptor?
Not requierd to bind MHC to activate. Binds peptides, lipids, and small moleculres.
What proportion of T cells are normal CD4+/CD8+ve
60% CD4, 30% CD8, the rest are other types.
What are the two membrane boutn Ig isotypes on naive B cells?
IgM and IgD
What is the role of the CD21 (aka complement receptor 2) on B-cells?
It binds to antigen bound C3b and increases the chance of B cell activation and longevity on encountering this antigen.
What is the role of Ig-beta and Ig-alpha?
Components of the BCR much like CD3 and the delta chains on T cells, required for signal transduction and activation. Ubiquitous to B cells.
Which virus uses CD21 (aka complement receptor 2, aka CR2) for cell entry into B cells?
Epstein Barr Virus
What is the receptor on B cells used to receive cognate help from helper T cells?
CD40. The ligand on the helper T cell is called (uncreatively) - CD40L (CD40 ligand)
What are the immature dendritic cells in in the skin called?
Langerhans cells
Follicular dendritic cells accumulate around B cell follicles in lymph nodes and in the spleen. Where do the classical dendritic cells accumulate once bound to antigen?
The T cell zones in lymphoid organs
What are the primary lymphoid organs?
The bone marrow and thymus
What is the middle bit of the lymph node referred to as?
The mmmmiddle is the mmmmedulla
What is the outer (crust) of the lymph node called?
The outer (cccccrust) of the node is called the ccccortex
Where are the B cells and where are the T cells in lymph nodes normally?
The be cells are in the outer cortex and the T cells are in the inner medullar. Strikingly.
The spleen is like a big lymph node. What is it for?
It’s the meeting place of antigens in the blood stream and the lymphocytes.
What are all the secondary lymphoid organs?
LNs and spleen, but also cutaneous and mucosal lymphoid systems including the tonsils, peyer patches.
What is in the ‘follicles’ of lymph nodes?
The B cells are in the medullary ‘follicles’.
What is the difference between a follicle and a germinal centre?
The follicle is the area that a germinal centre (ring of B cells cloning themselves) is situated in.
Where do T cells sit in the spleen?
Periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths (around small aterioles)
Where do B cells sit in the spleen?
In follicles just distant to the T cells sitting in their periarteriolar sheaths. They are also referred to as the ‘white pulp’
MHC1 is composed of an alpha chain linked nonvalently to a smaller nonpolymophic protein called beta 2-microglobulin. What genes encode the alpha chain components?
HLA-A/B/C
Which part of MHC class I binds to CD8?
alpha 3 subunit of the alpha heavy chain
Where are the components of MHC class II encoded?
HLA-D (subregions DP/Q/R)
Which domain (alpha 1/2 or beta 1/2) of the MHC class 2 binds to CD4?
The beta 2 subunit.
What three cell types present antigen to helper T cells typically?
B cells
Dendritic cells
Macrophages
As they all express MHC class II
What is the HLA haplotype?
The combination of HLA-A/B/C and DP/Q/R genes inherited from each parent.
Why is so hard to find donor matches?
HLA regions are extremely polymorphic from individual to individual. Best chance of genetically identical HLA haplotype is from identical twin (will be the same) or a sibling - 1 in 4 chance of having the same haplotype.
Why is MHC/HLA haplotype important for autimmune diseases an allergy?
Autoreactive or allergen reactive T cells and B cells is only half the story. MHC class II are required to be able to present the autoantigen or allergen to the naive T or B cell to initiate the immune activation in the first place.
What produces IL-12?
Dendritic cells primarily
What does IL-12 do?
Prodcued by dendritic cells in response to intercepting pathogenci antigen, it matures T helper cells to Thb1 cells, activates NK cells, stimulates the production of infterferon gamma and TNF.
Which cytokines are primarily thought of as the antiinflammtory products of T cells?
IL-10 and TGF-beta
Are T cell costimulatory B7/CD80/86 receptors constituitively expressed on the surface of antigen presenting cells?
No, they are only expressed after the APC is activated by phagocytosis of a DAMP or PAMP detected through innate receptors. This is important, as it limits the accidental activation of T cells to damage or pathogen related antigens.