Immunology 5: Relevance of the Immune System to Medicine

Question 1

Allergies

Answer 1

due to induction of IgE antibodies to ~common environmental antigens (allergens)
-Promising attempts to cure allergies because non-allergic people living exact same way respond to allergen with IgA and IgG4 antibodies which DO NOT trigger acute inflammation

Question 2

Autoimmune Disorders

• type 1 diabetes
• myasthenia gravis
• autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• rheumatic heart disease
• lupus erythematosus

Answer 2

• type 1 diabetes: insulin producing B cells (pancreas) attacked
• myasthenia gravis: neurological control of muscle contraction impaired by antibodies to receptors of muscle cells for ACh
• anemia: antibodies to RBC’s cause their damage & removal
• heart disease: can occur following group a strep. infection due to induction of immunity to heart tissue
• lupus: antibodies found to many self antigens

Question 3

Infectious Diseases

Answer 3

• prevention via vaccinations, varies with type of pathogen
• vaccination with smallpox and polio very effective
• tuberculosis only partially effective
• HIV-1 and AIDS problematic
• research shows each person produce different immune responses to intracell. pathogens that can cause chronic disease which mount predominant cell-mediated response . Some produce only antibody response, others do both
• these generalizations made first with leprosy

Question 4

Why should we understand why some vaccines are effective & some aren’t?

Answer 4

Required to provide rational basis for development of highly effective vaccines
-idea that vaccinations can extend to prevention of allergies, autoimmunity & cancers

Question 5

Transplantation

Answer 5

• treat patients by removing non-functioning organ & replacing it with functioning one
• can lead to rejection unless steps taken to prevent immune system from seeing oran as foreign & attacking it (immunosuppressants)

Question 6

Cancer

Answer 6

• work in last 20 years shows immune system recognizes human cancer cells as foreign & can attack them
• these recent studies give hope in effort to make vaccines against/treatments for cancer