Immunology - Immune Response to Infection Flashcards
Phagocytes
Internalize pathogens and degrade them
Lymphocytes (B and T cells)
Have receptors that recognize specific molecular components of pathogens and have specialized functions
B cells
make antibodies (effective against extracellular pathogens)
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs)
kill virally infected cells
Helper T cells
coordinate the immune response by direct cell-cell interactions and the release of cytokines
Cell + soluble mediator - leukocytes (lymphocytes)
B cell -> antibodies
T-cell + large granular lymphocyte (LGL) -> cytokines
Cell + soluble mediator - leukocytes (phagocytes)
mononuclear phagocyte -> complement and cytokines
neutrophil
eosinophil
Cell + soluble mediator - leukocytes (auxiliary cells)
basophil -> inflammatory mediators
Cell + soluble mediator - auxiliary cells
mast cells + platelets -> inflammatory mediators
Cell + soluble mediator - other cells
tissue cells -> interferons + cytokines
Specificity and memory
Essential feature of adaptive immune responses, B&T lymphocytes mount a more effective response on second and subsequent encounters with a particular antigen, non-adaptive (innate) immune responses (mediated for example by complement, phagocytes, and NK cells) do not alter on repeated exposure to infectious agent
Antigens
molecules that are recognized by receptors on lymphocytes
B cells antigen recognition
usually intact antigen molecules
T cells antigen recognition
antigen fragments displayed on the surface of dendritic cells
Immune response 2 phases
antigen recognition and antigen eradication
Antigen recognition
clonal selection involves recognition of antigen by particular clones of lymphocytes leading to clonal expansion of specific clones of T and B cells and differentiation to effector and memory cells
Antigen eradication
effector phase, specific T and B cells coordinate an immune response which eliminates the antigen source
Pathogen niches during infection
extracellular (ie staphylococccus, streptococcus, candida, microbiota, worms), intracellular vacuolar (ie salmonella, chlamydia, legionella, coxiella, plasmodium), surface adherent (ie enteropathogenic and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli), intracellular cytosolic (ie viruses, listeria, burkholderia, mycobacterium)
How does an immune response to infection start?
tissue damage (ie injury), molecular detection of microbes, inter-cellular communication (ie interleukins), priming the adaptive immune response
How does an immune response to an infection end?
Clearing infection, stopping inflammatory cytokine production, repairing tissue damage, immune memory
Innate immunity - general
Fast acting, first line of defence, germline encoded receptors
Innate immunity - physical barriers
Skin, mucous, epithelial cells
Innate immunity - humoral
complement, lectins (collectins, ficolins, detect carbohydrates), pentraxins, antimicrobial peptides
Innate immunity - cellular
neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, NK cells