Lecture 13 - allergy and autoimmunity Flashcards
Define allergy
harmful immunologically mediated hypersensitivity reactions in response to inherantly harmless antigens
What are the four types of hypersensitivity reaction?
I, II, III, IV
How is type I hypersensitivity characterised?
- immediate
- mediated by IgE
- usually chronic following initial sensitisation with antigen
What are five examples of IgE mediated allergic reaction?
1) Acute urticoria -animals, insects - entry through skin -> local increase in blood flow and vascular permeability edema
2) Seasonal rhinoconjunctivitus - pollens, dust mite faeces in contact with conjunctive of eye and nasal mucosa -> edema of conjunctiva and nasal mucosa, sneexing
3) Asthama - dander, pollen, dust mite faeces through inhalation leading to contact with mucosal lining of lower airways -> brochial constriction, increased mucus production, airway inflammation
4) Systemic anaphylaxis - druigs, venom, food, serum through intravenous entry -> edema, increased vascular permeability, laryengeal edema, circulatory collapse, death
5) food allergy - peanuts, treenuts, fish, milk though oral, -> vomiting, diarrhea, pruritis, urticavia, anaphylactis
What cells are allergic responses dependent upon?
Mast cells
How is IgE involved in activation of mast cell in an allergic response?
1) IgE secreted by plasma cells binds high affinity to Fc receptor FCeRI on mast cells
2) multivalent Antigen crosslinks bound IgE causing release of IgE and granule contents
What is released from an activated mast cell and what are the results?
1) enzymes e.g. trypsase - tissue damamge
2) Cytokines e.g. TNP, - inflammation
3) lipid mediators e.g.PAF, PGD2, LTC4 - intestinal hypermobility, bronchoconstriction
4) Biogenic amines e.g. histamines - vascular leak, vasodilation
What are the properties of allegen entry and mast cell activation when enter by skin?
- low dose
- through epidermis
- mast cell activation leads to local release of histamines in a ‘wheel and flare’ reaction, contraction of vessel and thickening
What are the properties of allegen entry and mast cell activation when enter by lungs?
- low doses
- mucus production
- muscle contraction
What are the physological effects of asthma?
- excess mucus secretion
- smooth muscle hypertrophy
- submucosal inflammatory infiltration with lymph
Who is affected by allergies?
- strong genetic component
- 40% western population prine to produce high IgE
- atopic individuals have enhanced allelic frequences e.g. IIqI2-12 (encode beta subunit of FcrRI)
What are the types of ashma susceptibilty genes?
1) genes triggering immune response or dictating CD4 Th1 cell differentiation
2) Genes regulating Th2 differentation and effector funtion
3) genes expressed in epithelial cells
4) genes identified by positional cloning
What are subtypes of ashma susceptibilty genes 1)triggering immune response or dictating CD4 Th cell differentation?
- pattern recognition receptors
- immunoregulatory cytokines
- transcription factors
- antigen presenting alleles
- Prostaglandin receptor
What are subtypes of ashma susceptibilty genes 2)genes regulating Th2 cell differentiation and effector function?
e.g. GATA-3, IL-4, IL-13
What are subtypes of ashma susceptibilty genes 3)genes expressed in epithelial cells?
- chemokines
- antimicrobial peptides
- CC16
- Epithelial cell barrier