Immunology Flashcards
What are antigens?
Anything that causes an immune response
What is an antibody?
A protein molecule created by our immune system to target an antigen for destruction
What are cytokines?
Cell-to-cell communication proteins that control development, differentiation, & movement
What are cytokines produced by?
Leukocytes
What are interleukins?
13 cytokines that regulate immune response, inflammatory rxns, & hematopoiesis
What interleukins are responsible for fever?
IL 1 & 6
What IL causes acute-phase response?
IL-6
Tumor Necrosis Factor
- Activates neutrophils
- Mediates septic shock
- Causes tumor necrosis
What are chemokines?
- Type of cytokine released by infected/injured cells
- Signals neutrophils & macrophages to initiate immune response
What blocks virus replication?
Interferons
- Alpha, beta, & gamma subtypes
What interferon is the strongest? What produces it? What 3 things does it activate?
Gamma
- Produced by T cells
- Activates macrophages, natural killer cells, & neutrophils
IFN type I
What produces it & fxn
- Alpha & beta
- Produced by any cell type
- Induce viral resistance
- Can suppress T-cell responses & memory T cells (important in HIV)
IFN type II
What secretes it & fxn
- Gamma
- Secreted by natural killer cells & T lymphocytes
- Signals immune system to respond to infectious agents or cancerous growth
Immunity is conveyed by…
3 things
- Barriers
- Recognition
- Destruction
What are the 2 branches of immunity? & Define them
- Innate
- “natural, non-specific”
- FAST - Adaptive
- “specific, humoral, cell-mediated”
- SLOW
What is hematopoiesis?
Formation of cells that make up “blood”
Where does hematopoiesis occur in the embryo & fetus?
- Liver
- Spleen
- Thymus
Where does hematopoiesis occur after birth?
- Primarily bone marrow
- Lymphatic tissues
What are the components of innate immunity?
7 things
- Physical barriers
- Granulocytes
- Monocytes
- Macrophages
- Dendritic cells
- NKCs
- Complement cascade
What are the characteristics of innate immunity?
- Immediate
- Response does NOT increase w/ repeat exposure
What is the 1st level of protection?
Along w/ 3 examples
Physical barriers!
- Skin
- Mucous membranes
- Commensal bacteria
Describe the inflammatory response
- Damaged tissue &/or cell mediated histamine, prostaglandin & leukotriene release –> vasodilation & leaky capillaries
- Cell mediated heparin release –> decreased clotting
What does the inflammatory response result in?
- Increased blood flow to area
- Immunologic factors leak out of capillaries into interstitial space
What are adhesion molecules? What do they recruit?
- Membrane proteins that connect cells to other cells or ECM
- Recruit neutrophils to site of inflammation
Describe the effects of chronic inflammation
Chronic cytokine release & leukocyte infiltration –> release of lysozyme & free radicals –> tissue damage
What is the 2nd line of defense?
Granulocytes:
- Basophils
- Eosinophils
- Neutrophils
- Mast cells
What are the characteristics of basophils? What do they release?
- Least common
- Mature in bone
- Circulate bloodstream
- Allergic & helminth response
- Release histamine & heparin
What are the characteristics of eosinophils? What do they release?
- Derived from bone marrow
- Circulate bloodstream & organs (GI & RT)
- Active in allergic rxns, asthma
- Act as “antigen-presenting cells” (APCs)
- Weakly phagocytic
- Release H202 & other O2 radicals to kill microbes
- Release leukotrienes
What do eosinophils stimulate?
T-lymphocytes
Neutrophils
- Most abundant
- Circulate bloodstream
- “First responders”
- Active against bacteria & fungi
- Release cytokines to recruit monocytes & macrophages
- Strongly phagocytic
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps
“Throw out” extracellular fibers that bind bacteria