Innate immunity Flashcards
factors determining the outcome fo the host pathogen relationship
infectivity
host immune response
virulence
infectivity
the ability of the microbe toe stablish itself on the host or in the host
host immune response
Immunocompromised: elderly, young, pregnancy
virulence
capacity of the microbe to do damage to the host
immune system definition
cells and organs that contribute to immune defences against infectious and non-infectious conditions (self vs non-self)
infectious disease
when the pathogen succeeds in evading and/or overwhelming the hosts immune defences
role of immune system (4)
1) Pathogen recognition
2) Containing/eliminating infection
3) regulation itself (e.g. sepsis or autoimmune)
4) Remembering pathogens
two arms of the immune system
innate and adaptive
innate immune system overview
- Immediate protection- fast
- Prevent pathogen from entering e.g. skin
- Lack of specificity- recognises antigens if a group of pathogens e.g. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
- Lack of memory
- No change in intensity overtime
adaptive immune system
- Long lasting protection
- Slow (days)
- Specificity
- Immunologic membrane
- Changes in intensity
- Needed for human survival
innate system made up of
1) first line defences
2) Second line defences
1) first line defences
- Physical barriers e.g. skin
- Physiological barriers
- Chemical
- Biological
2) second line defences
- Phagocytes
- Chemicals
- Inflammation
physical barriers
- Skin
- Mucous membranes o Mouth o Respiratory tract o GI tract o Urinary tract
- Bronchial cilia
o Expel pathogens from the lungs e.g. CF
physical barriers do what
expel pathogen out of the body - not always caused by infection
physical barrier mechanisms
- Diarrhoea- Food poisoning
- Vomiting
o Food poisoning
o Hepatitis
o Meningitis - Coughing
o pneumonia - Sneezing
o sinusitis
*also increases spread of microbes into environment
chemical barriers
low pH
antimicrobial molecules
pH of the skin
5.5
pH of stomach
1-3
pH of vagina
4.4
antimicrobial molecules
o IgA (tears, saliva, mucous membrane) o Lysosome (sebum, perspiration, urine) o Mucus (mucous membranes) o Beta-defensins (epithelium) o Gastric acid and pepsin
biological barriers
normal flora
normal flora
non-pathogenic microbes 9as long as they stay where they are
normal flora found in strategic locations
Nasopharynx Mouth/throat Skin GI tract Vagina (lactobacillus- makes it acidic- candidiasis after antibiotics)
Absent in internal organs/tissue
benefits fo normal flora
o Compete with pathogens for attachment sites and resource
o Produce antimicrobial chemicals
o Synthesise vitamins (K, B12 etc)
o Immune maturation
examples of normal flora that inhabit the skin
- Staphylococcus aureus- cellulitis
- Staphylococcus epidermidis- implants
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Candida albicans
- Clostridium perfringens- gas gangrene
examples of normal flora that inhabit the nasopharynx
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningitidis
- Haemophilus species
clinical problems with normal flora start when
Normal flora is displaced from its normal location into sterile locations
how may skin flora breach the skin
o Skin loss o Surgery o IV lines o Skin diseases o Injection drug users HIV HEP B/C o Tattooing/ body piercing