Microbial Immune Evasion Mechanisms Flashcards
Explain the concept of Balanced Pathogenicity
Properties of the microbe
(Pathogenic mechanisms):
Adhesins
Toxins
Capsule
Etc.
VS
Properties of the host
(Defensive mechanisms):
Natural barriers
Defensive cells
Complement
Immune response
Virulence Factors - describe 3 effects
Promote colonisation and adhesion
- To establish infection
e. g. adhesins
Evade host defences
Promote tissue damage
- Growth, Transmission?
e. g. toxins
Roles of Complement
induces inflammatory response promotes chemotaxis ↑ phagocytosis by opsonisation ↑vascular permeability mast cell degranulation lysis of cell membranes
Intracellular pathogens:- example
Intracellular pathogens:-
e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Listeria
Salmonella
Intracellular pathogens:- hidden from?
hidden from serum killing, complement, antibodies
Phagocytosis - functions
kill cell - leucocidins - Staphs
prevent opsonisation - protein A (binds Fc portion of IgG) - Staphs
block contact - capsules -meningococcus, Hib
intracellular pathogens:- function
Promote own uptake (safe)
- CR3; mannose lectin receptors
Prepares cell for invasion - Shigella
- ve P-L fusion
- M. tuberculosis
Escape P-L to cytoplasm - Listeria
Resist oxidative killing
- produce catalases/peroxidases
Describe phagocytosis
- Directs phagocytosis
via CR3 – no ROI - Actin rearrangement - +ve engulfment
- Type 3 secretion systems – prepares cell
- Resists digestion and ROIs
in PLs - SOD, catalase - Escape into cytoplasm
e. g. Listeria - Inhibits PL fusion
maintains early endosome
Blocks acidification
e.g. mycobacteria - Controls antigen
presentation
Stops CTLs or
Pφ activation
Effect of production of Fc receptors by microbes
Microbial antigen bind to antibody leading to elimination
However when microbial Fc receptors bind antibodies leads to binding specific + non-specific antibody by Fc portion
Access to surface antigen
by specific antibody blocked
Concealment of antigen - describe
Adaptive immunity
- hide inside cells
- privileged sites
- block MHC antigen presentation = Herpes -ve TAP protein
- surface uptake of host molecules e.g. CMV and beta2microglobulin
Effect of immunosuppression
Immunosuppression
- e.g. ↓ MHC, ↓ receptors, apoptosis, cytokine switch IgA proteases
Streptococcus pneumoniae - pathogenic mechanisms
Colonisation of nasopharynx
(adhesins; receptor NAc-hex-gal, sIgA proteases) = Otitis media
(inflammation)
Inhalation into lungs
By-passes defences: surfactants sIgA proteases; pneumolysin
Reaches lung
=
Escapes phagocytosis
(capsules)
Inflammation -Lung damage
(teichoic acids; pneumolysin)
Damage to endothelial cells
(inflammation; pneumolysin)
=
pneumonia
Bacteraemia
Meningitis + septicaemia
(Inflammation and toxic shock)
Viral Immune Evasion - describe
- Latency - VZV, herpes simplex
- ↓ antigenic presentation by binding to TAP
- Inhibits peptide transfer to MHC
- Herpes simplex - ↓MCH expression - Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Mutation of epitopes
B cells - neutralisation escape
T cells - CD8+ escape mutants of HIV
Intracellular pathogens - requires
Intracellular pathogens - requires adaptive cell mediated immunity
Ophthalmic Zoster - presentation
During chicken pox VZ V becomes latent in nerve ganglia
In shingles, reactivates years later