Innate Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

What is virulence?

A

Capacity of microbe to damage host

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2
Q

What is the definition of the immune system?

A

Cells and organs that contribute to immune defences against infectious and non-infection conditions

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3
Q

What is infectious disease?

A

When the pathogen succeeds in evading the host’s immune defences

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4
Q

What are the roles of the immune system?

A

Pathogen recognition
Containing the infection
Regulating itself
Remembering pathogens

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5
Q

What are some features of innate immunity?

A
Immediate protection 
Fast
Lack of specificity
Lack of memory
No change in intensity
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6
Q

What physical barriers are involved in the innate immune system?

A

Skin
Mucous membranes (mouth, respiratory tract, GI tract, urinary tract)
Bronchial cilia

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7
Q

What physiological barriers are part of the innate immune system?

A

Diarrhoea, vomiting, coughing, sneezing

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8
Q

What chemical barriers are involved in the innate immune system?

A
Low pH of skin, stomach, vagina
IgA (tears, saliva, mucous membrane)
Lysozyme (sebum, perspiration, urine)
Mucous 
Beta-defending (epithelium)
Gastric acid and pepsin
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9
Q

What biological barriers are part of the innate immune system?

A

Normal flora in nasopharynx, mouth/throat, skin, GI tract, vagina

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10
Q

What are the benefits of having normal flora?

A

Compete with pathogens for attachment sites and resources

Produce antimicrobial chemicals

Synthesise vitamins (K, B12, other B vitamins)

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11
Q

What normal flora are found within the vagina?

A

Lactobacillus spp

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12
Q

What are some examples of normal flora that inhabit the skin?

A
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Streptococcus pyogenes
Candida albicans
Clostridium perfringens
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13
Q

What are some examples of normal flora that inhabit the nasopharynx?

A

Streptococcus pneumoniae
Neisseria meningitidis
Haemophilus species

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14
Q

When do clinical problems involving normal flora occur?

A

When normal flora are displaced from its normal location to sterile location

Or when they overgrow

Or when they are depleted by antibiotics

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15
Q

Are macrophages present in all organs?

A

Yes

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16
Q

What are the functions of macrophages?

A

Phagocytosis, antigen presentation, production of cytokines

17
Q

Where are monocytes present?

A

Blood

18
Q

What is the function of monocytes?

A

They are recruited at infection site and differentiate into macrophages

19
Q

Where are neutrophils present?

A

Blood (60% of blood leukocytes)

20
Q

What are neutrophils recruited by?

A

Recruited by chemokines to site of infection

21
Q

What is the function of neutrophils?

A

Ingest and destroy pyrogenic bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes

22
Q

What is the function of basophils/mast cells?

A

Early actors of inflammation, important in allergic responses

23
Q

What is the function of eosinophils?

A

Defence against multi-cellular parasites

24
Q

What is the function of natural killer cells?

A

Kill all abnormal host cells (eg virus infected or cancer cells)

25
Q

What is the function of dendritic cells?

A

Present antigens to T cells

26
Q

What is opsonisation of microbes?

A

Coating proteins called opsonins that bind to the microbial surfaces leading to enhanced attachment of phagocytes and clearance of microbes

27
Q

What are some examples of opsonins?

A

Complement proteins (C3b and C4b)
Antibodies (IgG, IgM)
Acute phase proteins (CRP, MBL)

28
Q

What is the oxygen-dependent pathway of phagocytosis?

A

Toxic oxygen products produced to kill the pathogens - hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl, nitric oxide etc

29
Q

What is involved in the oxygen-independent pathway?

A

Lysozyme, lactoferrin/transferrin, cationic proteins (eg cathepsin), proteolytic and hydrolytic enzymes

30
Q

How many serum proteins are in the complement pathway?

A

20

31
Q

What is the alternative pathway of the complement system initiated by?

A

Cell surface microbial constituents (eg endotoxins on E. Coli)

32
Q

What are C3a and C5a involved in?

A

Recruitment of phagocytes

33
Q

What are C3b-C4b involved in?

A

Opsonisation of pathogens

34
Q

What is C5-C9 involved in?

A

Killing of pathogens

Membrane Attack Complex

35
Q

What is the MBL pathway of the complement system initiated by?

A

Initiated when MBL binds to mannose containing residues of proteins found on many microbes (eg Salmonella spp. , Candida albicans)

36
Q

What could cause a decrease in neutrophil number?

A

Cancer chemotherapy, certain drugs (phenytoxin), leukaemia and lymphoma

37
Q

What could cause a decrease in neutrophil function?

A

Chronic granulomatous disease (no respiratory burst)

Chediak-Higashi syndrome (no phagolysosome formation)