Immunology Flashcards
Primary lymphoid organs
Where lymphocytes are generated
Includes bone marrow and thymus
Which lymphocyte matures in the bone marrow?
B lymphocytes
Secondary lymphoid organs
Where adaptive immune responses are initiated & Ag/Ab encounter each other
Exist to bring Ag and lymphocytes together
Lymph node
a secondary lymphoid organ that has many afferents and 1 or more efferents (medulla)
How do naive lymphocytes exit the blood?
Via high endothelial venules (HEV)
Follicle of a LN
Site of B-cell localization and proliferation
In the outer cortex
Parts of a LN
Follicle, cortex (outer and paracortex), and medulla
Primary follicles vs. secondary follicles in LNs
Primary - dense and dormant
Secondary - pale central germinal centres and are active
What are high endothelial venules?
- Specialized section of post-capillary venules
- plump endothelial cells protrude into vessel
- In LNs found in paracortex and some areas of cortex
- Lymphocytes display increased adhesiveness to HEV
Medulla of a LN
Consists of medullary cords and medullary sinuses
Houses macrophages and plasma cells
Medullary sinuses
communicate with efferent lymphatics and contain reticular cells and macrophages
Paracortex in LNs
Houses T cells
Region of cortex between follicles and medulla
Contains high endothelial venules through which T and B cells enter from blood
What part of the LN enlarges in an extreme cellular immune response (e.g., viral infection)?
Paracortex
What art of the LN is not well developed in patients with DiGeorge syndrome?
Paracortex
What area of the body do cervical LN’s drain?
Head and neck
What area of the body do hilar LNs drain?
Lungs
What area of the body do Mediastinal LNs drain?
trachea and esophagus
What area of the body do axillary LNs drain?
upper limb, breast, skin above umbilicus
What area of the body do celiac LNs drain?
liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas, upper duodenum
What area of the body do superior mesenteric LNs drain?
lower duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon to splenic flexure
What area of the body do inferior mesenteric LNs drain?
colon from splenic flexure to upper rectum
What area of the body do internal iliac LNs drain?
lower rectum to anal canal (above pectinate line), bladder, vagina (middle third), prostate
What area of the body do para-aortic LNs drain?
testes, ovaries, kidneys, uterus
What area of the body do superficial inguinal LNs drain?
ana canal (below pectinate line), skin below umbilicus (except popliteal territory)
What area of the body do popliteal LNs drain?
dorsolateral foot, posterior calf
Spleen
collects blood born antigens and also destroys aged RBCs
divided into red pulp and white pulp
White pulp of the spleen
T cells are found in the periarterial lymphatic sheath within the white pulp
B cells are found in follicles within the white pulp
Red pulp of the spleen
where old RBCs are destroyed
The marginal zone btwn the red and white pulp contains what?
APCs and specialized B cells , and is where APCs present blood-borne antigens
What do macrophages in the spleen remove?
encapsulated bacteria
What occurs in the immune system when there is a splenic dysfunction (e.g., postspenectomy, sickle cell dz)?
decreased IgM -> decreased complement activation -> decreased C3b opsonization -> increased susceptibility to encapsulated organisms
Susceptibility to bacteria caused by encapsulated bacteria caused by failure of the immune response to these common extracellular bacteria when the enter the blood stream
List the pathogens that can cause splenic dysfunction
(SHiNE SKS)
Streptococcus pneumoniae HiB Neisseria meningitidis E coli Salmonella spp. Klebsiella pneumoniae group B Streptococci
Thymus
Site of T cell differentiation and maturation
Cortex is dense with immature T cells
Medulla is pale with mature T cells and Hassall corpuscles containing reticular cells
The thymus comes from the epithelium of….
3rd pharyngeal pouches
Components of the innate immune system
neutrophils, macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, NK cells (lymphoid origin), complement
Components of the adaptive immune system
T cells, B cells, circulating antibodies
Innate immune systems response to pathogens
Nonspecific Occurs rapidly (minutes to hours)
Adaptive immune system response to pathogens
Highly specific, refined over time
Develops over long periods; memory response is faster and more robust
Innate immunity physical barriers
Epithelial tight junctions, mucus
Adaptive immunity physical barriers
none
Proteins secreted by Innate immunity
lysozyme, complement, CRP, defensins
Proteins secreted by adaptive immunity
immunoglobulins
Key features in pathogen recognition by innate immunity
TLRs: pattern recognition receptors that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)
- signalling induces innate immune responses and inflammation
Examples of PAMPs
LPS (gram negative bacteria), flagellin (bacteria), ssRNA (viruses)
Key features in pathogen recognition by adaptive immunity
Memory cells: activated B and T cells; subsequent exposure to previously encountered antigen -> stronger, quicker immune response
Types of adaptive immune responses
Humoral and cell mediated
Humoral responses
Adaptive immunity
mediated by Abs
Produced by bone marrow derived B lymphocytes
Cell-mediated responses
Adaptive immunity
mediated by thymus derived T lymphocytes
Genes responsible for recognizing a graft as being foreign are termed …?
Histocompatibility genes
MHC are encoded by…
HLA genes
MHC present antigen fragments to…
T cells and bind TLRs
MHC I loci
HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C
MHC II loci
HLA-DR, HLA-DP, HLA-DQ
MHC I molecules present Ags derived from the ______ to _______ cells
cytosol; CD8+ T cells
MHC II molecules present Ags derived from ______ to _______ cells
outside the cell; CD4+ T cells
MHC I function
present ENDOGENOUSLY synthesized ANTIGENS (e.g., viral) to CD8+ T cells
MHC II function
present EXOGENOUSLY synthesized PROTEINS (e.g., bacteria) to CD4+ T cells
MHC I Ag loading
Ag peptides loaded onto MHC I in RER after delivery via TAP peptide transporter
MHC II Ag loading
Ag loaded following release of invariant chain in an acidified endosome