Lecture 13 - Mucosal Immunity Flashcards
What are the components of the mucosal immune system?
- GIT
- Respiratory tract
- Urogenital system
- Breast tissue
What is MALT?
Mucosal associated lymphoid tissue
What is GALT?
Gastrointestinal associated lymphoid tissue
What is the structure of the GIT epithelium?
- Villi made up of enterocytes
- Goblet cells
- Brush border forming microvilli on enterocytes
- Blood supply, lymphatics
- Peyer’s patches
- Lamina propria
What does the epithelium of the GIT potentially experience much immune stimulation?
Because around 100g of protein passes through our gut daily
What is the function of the distal end of the villous?
Absorption
What is the function of the proximal end of the villous?
Secretion
Division
What types of cells are there in the gut epithelium?
Goblet Enterocytes Paneth cells M cells Intra-epithelial lymphocytes
What is the function of goblet cell?
Secrete:
• mucin
• lysozyme
• lactoferrin
What is the function of Paneth cells?
Secrete:
• defensins
Where are the lymphocytes in the villi located?
In the lamina propria
In between the enterocytes: intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL)
What are the pros / cons of a large surface area of the gut epithelium?
Pro: lots of area for secretion / absorption
Cons:
• vulnerability to microbes
• vulnerability to food antigens
What is thus the general goal of the GALT?
Dampen down the immune response
Tolerance of harmless non-self antigens
What are the innate defences of the gut?
- Peristaltic flushing action
- Acid
- Mucous
- Tight junctions
- Antimicrobial factors
- Cytokines / chemokines
- Cells (lymphocytes, macrophages)
- Glycocalyx
What are the physical and chemical barriers of the surface of the gut?
Glycocalyx
Mucin
In general, how does the mucosal immune system vary from the systemic immune system?
Systemic: structure
Mucosal: not overly structured
Compare the antigen sampling in lymph nodes of the systemic and mucosal IS
Systemic: antigen draining from tissue
Mucosal: direct sampling, lymphocytes present in the tissue
Compare the lymph nodes in systemic and mucosal
Systemic: capsulated, must enter by afferent lymphatics
Mucosal: not encapsulated, antigen may be sampled directly from the lumen of the gut
Where are M cells found?
At the tip of the Peyer’s patch
What is the structure of a Peyer’s patch?
M cell
SED: sub-epithelial dome
Follicles
Where do lymphocytes become activated in the Peyer’s patch?
The follicle
In the mucosa, where are the two places that lymphocytes are found?
- Effector site, IEL
* Follicle of Peyer’s patch