Lecture 26 Flashcards
1
Q
Definition of an antigen?
A
anything that gets recognized by BCR/TCR immunogen AND triggers an immune response
2
Q
Definition of an immunogen
A
Something that triggers an immune response
3
Q
What is the criteria for something to be an antigen and an immunogen?
A
- foreignness
- molecular size
- chemical nature
- nucleic acid
4
Q
What is something that is an antigen, but NOT an immunogen called? What is an example of this?
A
a hapten; DNP
5
Q
Why is penicillin considered reactive?
A
because of the b-lactam ring– reacts with amino groups on host proteins
6
Q
What happens when someone is allergic to penicillin?
A
- penicillin binds and couples to B cell epitope, and Th cells costimulate B cell to produce IgE
- IgE binds to Fc receptors on mast cells
- cross-linking of IgE with penicillin protein activates mast cell’s histamine and inflammatory response
7
Q
What is the function of adjuvants in a vaccine?
A
induce cytokines, formation fo depot, promotion of transportation to drain lymph nodes
