Immunology Flashcards
Broad causes of secondary immune deficiency?
Physiological (extremes of age) Infection Treatment interventions Malignancy Biochemical and nutritional disorders
Examples of infections causing secondary immune deficiency?
HIV
Measles
Examples of treatment interventions causing secondary immune deficiency?
Immunosuppressives
Anti-cancer
Corticosteroids
Examples of malignancies causing secondary immune deficiency?
Lymphoma, leukaemia, myeloma
Metastatic cancer
Examples of biochemical and nutritional disorders causing secondary immune deficiency?
Malnutrition
Renal insufficiency
Diabetes (T1+2)
Mineral deficiencies
Definition of granuloma?
An organised collection of activated macrophages and lymphocytes
Why do granulomas form?
non-specific inflammatory response triggered by diverse antigens or foreign bodies- stimulus not removes- persistent
Differential of lung granulomas?
Sarcoidosis TB Leprosy Silicosis (other dust diseases) Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis Foreign bodies
2 presentations of antibody deficiencies?
Recurrent bacterial infection
Antibody mediated autoimmune disease (e.g. ITP, haemolytic anaemia)
Function of natural killer cells?
Kill cells that lack MHC (molecules on surface)- no antigen specificity
Primary causes of recurrent infections and low immunoglobulins?
CVID- common variable immune deficiency
Specific antibody deficiency (IgA very common!)
Secondary causes of recurrent infections and low immunoglobulins?
Protein loss- nephrotic syndrome
Low protein production- CLL, myeloma, NHL
What is complement?
Proteins secreted by liver that interact with pathogens to mark them for destruction by phagocytes
(promotes inflammation)
Examples of live attenuated vaccines?
MMR Chickenpox Yellow fever Rotavirus BCG
Examples of inactivated whole cell vaccines?
Polio
Hep A
Rabies
Cholera
Examples of inactivated fractional vaccines?
Hep B Influenza HPV Anthrax Diphtheria Tetanus Haemophilus influenza type B
How do vaccinations produce memory?
Generate long-lived memory B cells (last years) and effector T cells/memory T cells
What does immune memory cause during secondary infection?
Ability to clear infection during incubation period, before the onset of clinical features, by rapidly producing IgG