Inflammation Flashcards
What is inflammation?
A complex response process triggered by infection, tissue injury or irritants enabling specific host cells and interacting chemicals (cytokines) to coordinate and attempt their neutralisation and removal
What is the difference between inflammation and swelling?
Swelling is an abnormal enlargement of a part of the body usually as a result of fluid accumulation
Inflammation and swelling are connected but not the same
What are the types of inflammation?
Acute
Chronic
Describe acute inflammation
Rapid onset (mins, hours)
Short duration (days)
Initiated by non-specific innate immune responses
Refined and prolonged by adaptive immune responses
Describe chronic inflammation
Slow or insidious onset
Long duration (weeks, months)
Initiated by inadequate acute inflammatory responsiveness or host susceptibility
Attempts to repair damaged tissue more likely to cause scarring/fibrosis
What is the outcome of acute inflammation?
Resolution
Fibrosis
Scarring
Persistence
What is the outcome of chronic inflammation?
Tissue destruction
Fibrosis
Scarring
Necrosis
Describe the course of acute inflammation
Non self antigens or damage signals trigger response
Immune cells and mediators are attracted and retained at the initiating site
Immune cells commit by differentiating and activating mechanisms able to kill pathogens, limit the spread of infection and further injury and protect damaged tissue from becoming infected
Infectious agents/dead cells/tissue are deconstructed
Conditions are created for tissue repair e.g. TGF-b
How are PAMPs and DAMPs involved in acute inflammation?
PAMPs/DAMPs are recognised by PRRs on cell surfaces initially involving resident macrophages
PRR activation triggers cell signalling pathways to secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I IFNs
What type of inflammation do PAMPs cause?
Infectious
What type of inflammation do DAMPs cause?
Sterile
What causes releases of DAMPs?
Endogenous cell damage/stress
Describe recruitment in acute inflammation
Resident tissue macrophages and mast cells recognise pathogens and secrete cytokines and histamine
Cytokine activate integrins, capturing neutrophils attracted by chemotaxis which then migrate into tissue
Neutrophils capture bacteria then release more vascular permeability and monocyte recruitment mediators
Differentiated monocytes remove bacteria and release cytokines for further recruitment or repair
Describe the response stage of acute inflammation
Short lived neutrophils phagocytose pathogens
Cytokine release
Neutrophils expand and burst, sending out neutrophil extracellular traps (nets) to capture and immobilise other pathogens
Describe the removal and repair stages of acute inflammation
Monocytes initially differentiated into killing M1 convert to resolving M2 macrophage types
M1 has highly phagocytic activated killing and is able to clear the inflammation site
M2 secretes growth factors e.g. TGF-b for repair involving angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis
Describe the course of chronic inflammation
Macrophage activation or direct innate encounters by other leukocytes of non-self antigens or host cell damage signals
Macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, eosinophils and mast cells are recruited
T cell activation feeds back directly to activate macrophages, both secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines and stimulate broader adaptive responses
Persistent pathogens or long term non-specific antigen exposure are not removed, prolonging the response
Tissue repair signalling is compromised (may form granulomas) and can lead to tissue destruction. Cell proliferation needs specialised regulatory cells to resolve
What are the triggers of chronic inflammation?
Failure to activate or resolve acute inflammatory reaction - persistent infections (viruses, Mycobacteria, parasites, fungi)
Misdirected inflammatory reactivity - harmless environmental substances (allergies), self antigens (autoimmune diseases)
Underlying disorders prolong immune activity - cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, T2D
What happens if there is persistent build up of endogenous substances?
Become target crystals of cholesterol and urate
Cholesterol = atherosclerosis
Urate = gout
What can chronic inflammation result in?
Large accumulations of T cells at inflamed sites
e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis
Describe recruitment of T cells in chronic inflammation
Activated naive T cells migrate and become effectors in lymphoid organs
Effector T cells return to inflammatory sites and increase response
Describe recruitment of eosinophils in chronic inflammation
Recruited and activated by parasites and IgE responsiveness
Describe recruitment of mast cells in chronic inflammation
Activated by injury or IgE mediated allergy
Describe recruitment of neutrophils in chronic inflammation
Several diseases influenced by over recruitment of neutrophils
e.g. COPD
Describe the resolution stage of chronic inflammation
Phases of incomplete resolution gradually increase the magnitude of inflammation
What cells are involved in resolution of CI?
Macrophages
Treg cells
Innate lymphoid cells
Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC)
Describe the role of macrophages in resolution of CI
Killing, removal or apoptotic/spent immune cells
Type shift to M2 drives repair
Describe the role of Treg cells in resolution of CI
Derived from CD4 lineages
Use various cytokines (IL-10, TGF-b, IL-17) to deactivate many cell types exhibiting inflammatory cell responses (mast, eosinophils)
Where is lack of Tregs found?
In IBD
Particularly IL-17
Describe the role of innate lymphoid cells in resolution of CI
e.g. NK cells
Help to reduce activation of proinflammatory cells such as eosinophils (asthma)
Describe the role of MDSCs in resolution of CI
Aid in efferocytosis
Induce Treg cell expansion
Promote IL-10 and TGF-b production
What is chronic granulomatous inflammation?
Granulomas form when the causative agent cannot be eradicated to try and isolate/prevent its spread
What do granulomas comprise of?
Macrophages
Lymphocytes - mostly T cells, some B cells
Fibroblasts and collagen
Necrotic tissue (sometimes)