Lecture 3: Immunology and Pathology

Question 1

A host is susceptible to a parasite if:

Answer 1

the host cannot eliminate the parasite before it becomes established. The parasite is therefore infective.

Question 2

a host is resistant to a parasite if:

Answer 2

its physiological status prevents the establishment and survival of the parasite. The parasite would be NON-INFECTIVE

Question 3

what are the 4 families of PRRs

Answer 3

1. TLR
2. CLR
3. RLR
4. NLR

Question 4

most recognized PAMP for parasites?

Answer 4

• GPIs (glycophosphatidylinositols)

they are glycolipids that are a ubiquitous feature of eukaryotic cell membranes.

Question 5

what is the difference between a virus/bacteria infection vs a parasitic infection?

Answer 5

• parasites are much bigger of a pathogen; this plays a role in how the immune system will interact with them
• more antigenic molecules on the surface of parasites than viruses and bacteria.
• parasites also have specific niches int he body, so depending on where the parasite is in the body, there will be different effects on the host.

Question 6

what is the hygiene hypothesis?

Answer 6

• children in larger households had less hay fever because they were exposed to the germs from l=older siblings.

-therefore, less exposure in early childhood to different possible pathogens will increase the susceptibility of the individual to disease.

• more interactions with pathogens allow fro a stronger immune response to similar pathogens.

Question 7

What happens ini the hygiene hypothesis to your immune cells when you are exposed to pathogens as a child.

Answer 7

At birth, you only have TH2 cells. In healthy children that are exposed to pathogens, differentiation into Th1 cells is also possible, therefore they have botth TH1 and TH2 cells.

however, children not exposed to healthy amounts of pathogens in their early childhood (before the age of 5), will not develop healthy TH1 cells, therefore will only have TH2 cells.

This leaves them more prone to allergies, asthma, etc.

Question 8

What can we do to help adults that are missing Th1 cells?

Answer 8

helminthic therapy

this is a type of immunotherapy for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and immune disorders by means of deliberate infestation with helminth or with the egg of a helminth.