Lecture 8 - The immune response to viral infection Flashcards
What type of viruses generally cause greatest mortality?
Zoonotic viruses (those that have ‘jumped’ species)
Viruses are ‘obligate intracellular pathogens’ what does this mean?
They are dependant on host proteins for replication
What are viral genomes enclosed with?
Capsids (coat proteins)
What are Cytopathic (lytic) viruses?
Viruses that lyse host cells by inducing apoptosis or autophagy, e.g. poliovirus or influenza
How does the cytopathic herpes virus infect cells?
It can infect cells without producing infectious virions until immunity wanes or until reactivated by various physiological signals - known as latent viruses
What are non-cytopathic viruses?
Viruses that replicate without destruction of cells e.g. Hepatitis B
How do intestinal viruses such as poliovirus enter the host body?
Enter via antigen sampling M cells
How do respiratory viruses such as influenza and rhinovirus enter the host body?
They establish infection in the epithelial cells of the airways
Name 2 viruses that require insect vectors for infection
dengue virus ans west nile virus
How do bloodbourne viruses such as HIV and Hep B enter the host body?
Invade through mucosa or epithelia following physical trauma (such as epithelial hair, injections or blood transfusion
What is tissue tropism?
Cells and tissues of a host that support growth of a particular virus or bacterium.
Viruses invade either via widely expressed surface molecules or using receptors with more restricted tissue expression patterns
What is major innate immunity mediated via?
Type 1 interferons, compliment and NK cells
What is major adaptive immunity mediated via?
Antibody and cytotoxic t lymphocytes
What are type 1 interferons?
A group of proteins that host cell enzymes that affect transcription and translation of viral genes
What is the initial appearance of a virus rapidly followed by in response?
Massive expansion of virus specific CD8 T cells.
CD4 T cell expansion and contraction also occurs but at a lower magnitude
What is produced relatively early after acute infection with a cytolytic virus, and what is their role/ mechanism?
Neutralising ABs
The AB binds the virus, allowing recognition by macrophages
Binding to the complement receptor on the macrophage allows activation of the classical complement pathway via the C1q/r/s complex.
Direct activation of the macrophages can also occur by binding of the ABs Fc receptor
Neutralising ABs are able to block binding of receptors that the virus uses to enter the host cell
Define epidemic
Classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at
a rate that substantially exceeds what is ‘expected’, based on recent evidence
Define pandemic
An epidemic that spreads through human populations across a large region e.g. a continent, or even worldwide.
(When a virus moves across continents it becomes a pandemic not an epidemic)
What virus causes AIDS?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
What type of cell does HIV target?
It infects and destroys CD4+ T lymphocytes
What is pneuocystic pneumonia (PCP)?
A form of pneumonia caused by yeast like fungus pneumocystis jirovecii
How do patients develop pneuocystic pneumonia (PCP)?
Pneumocystis fungi is commonly found in the lungs of healthy individuals but, being a source of opportunistic infection, it can cause lung infection in immune compromised patients.
It is therefore commonly seen in patients with HIV/ AIDS and those undergoing chemotherapy or on medications that affect the immune system