Innate Immunity Flashcards
What must our immune system be able to distinguish between?
Self from non-self
Self from dangerous self (think normal vs. cancer cells)
Non-self vs. dangerous non-self
What 4 classes of pathogen does the immune system protect against?
Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Parasites (Protozoa, worms)
What are the 2 arms of the immune system?
Innate: protects early, nonspecific, no memory, fixed, constant, genetic
Adaptive: comes in later, specific, memory, improves during response
What acronym describes the innate immune system functions?
Prevents infection
Recruits immune cells
Identifies and remove foreigners
Activates complement cascade
Activates adaptive immune system
What are the 5 components of the innate immune system?
Physical barriers
Cytokines
Acute phase proteins
Cells
Inflammation
What are the physical barriers of the innate immune system?
Skin, mucous membranes, normal flora
Cilia
Secretions (mucous; ph: sweat, stomach acid; chemical factors: lysozymes, fatty acids, phospholipase, defensins, surfactants; tear film)
What are cytokines?
Produced in response to antigen
Chemical mediators
Cell to cell communication
Stimulate cell movement to sites of inflammation, infection, trauma
Effect nearly every biological process
What are chemokines?
Enable leukocyte (immune cells) migration from blood to tissues at site of inflammation
Define pleiotropic, redundant, and multifunctional.
Pleiotropic–act on different types of cells, not just a
single cell type.
Redundant–different cytokines can carry out the same function.
Multifunctional–same cytokine regulates several different functions.
What are interferons (type of cytokine)?
Interfere with virus replication through gene activation
Describe Type 1 Interferons.
Pleiotropic
Produced by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (antigen presenting immune cell), virus-infected cells, and other defense cells
Induce uninfected cells to produce enzymes that degrade
viral mRNA and block translation in eukaryotic cells.
Treat chronic viral infection, inhibit tumor growth (suppress proliferation, induce apoptosis)
Enhance immune cells to induce chemokines that attract leukocytes
Describe Type 2 Interferon.
Interferon y stimulates inflammation
How does Interferon deficiency lead to severe COVID 19?
Type 1 interferon induced upon detection of viral RNA
Bind to cell surface receptors, transcription of genes that block virus replication and spread
IFN deficiencies may be inherited or induced by auto antibodies
What are TNFa (tumor necrosis factor alpha) and IL-1 Interleukin-1 involved in?
Mediating acute inflammation
What is IL-6 involved in?
Activation and regulation of the immune response
Stimulate acute phase proteins
Stimulate production of neutrophils in bone marrow
Support B cells growth
Antagonistic to regulatory T cells
What are acute phase proteins?
Produced in liver in response to infection and inflammation
Assist host defense
– Aid recognition of invading microbes
– Mobilize leukocytes into the circulation
– Increase blood flow to injured or infected sites
– Enhance local inflammation and antimicrobial defense
Prevent inflammation in uninvolved tissues
Describe C reactive protein.
Acute phase protein
Functions as opsinin, enhances ability of phagocytize cells to take up invaders
Activates complement
Elevated CRP is an inflammation indicator, correlated with coronary artery disease and stroke risk
Describe complement proteins.
Acute phase proteins
Plasma and cell surface proteins that fight invaders
Describe how levels of APP’s change with inflammation?
Significant changes in serum concentration during inflammation
Positive acute-phase proteins: increase (CRP, SAA, fibrinogen)
Negative acute-phase proteins: decrease (albumin, transferrin)
Describe complement. How is it activated?
Group of plasma proteins activated directly by pathogens or indirectly by pathogen-bound antibody
Major non-cellular component
Fight invaders through OIL
Describe the steps of OIL in the complement cascade to fend off microbial invaders.
Opsonization: binding/coating of a microbe by
complement (or an antibody) that results in enhanced
phagocytosis.
Inflammation: complement induces histamine release
from mast cells and basophils, causing blood vessel
dilation and leakage
Lysis: complement induces bacterial lysis
Describe the 3 pathways by which complement can be activated?
Classical: Antgien-antibody complexes (adaptive)
MB-Lectin: lectin binding to pathogen surfaces (innate)
Alternative: pathogen surfaces (innate)
What C3 in the complement pathway?
Plays central role in all pathways
Most abundant complement proteins leading to OIL
Describe the process of opsonization.
Bacterial cell surface cleaves and activates complement
One complement fragment bonds to bacteria and other to effector cell
Both complement fragments bind with bacteria and effector attached
The effector engulfed the bacterium, kills it, breaks it down
Describe the process of Lysis. What does it produce?
Membrane attack complex
Complement proteins forms a hole in cell membrane, initiates event that lead to lysis or apoptosis
Describe how inappropriate activation of complement can lead to AMD.
Drusen, the hallmark of AMD, contain many activated complement factors that may promote growth of blood vessels (complement role in inflammation causes bv dilation and leakage)
Describe how Complement factor H can affect the eye? How can this be treated?
Regulate alternative pathway; ensures that complement targets pathogens, not host tissue.
CFH is expressed in RPE and choroid, where it dampens complement-mediated inflammation.
SNPs in the CFH gene cause 50% of AMD cases, fuels alternative complement pathway activation.
One target for therapeutic intervention in AMD is blockade of complement activation.
Age and smoking, two important risk factors for AMD, influence plasma levels of complement factor H.