Ocular Immunopathology Flashcards
Name the 4 types of Hypersensitivity Responses
- Exaggerated or inappropriate variants of patterns of protective mechanisms
- Type I - Immediate Hypersensitivity (anaphylactic reactions)
- Type II - Cytotoxic reactions
- Type III - Immune complex reactions
- Type IV - cell mediated or “delayed” hypersensitivity
Describe Type I Hypersensitivity
- Immediate hypersensitivity - Th2 cell mediated
- Mast cell with IgE on surface encounters antigen
- Degranulation produces wheal (increased permeability) & flare (vasodilation)
- If local, the result is chemosis, itching, redness
- If systemic, can produce asphyxiation from laryngeal edema, suffocation from bronchial smooth muscle constriction, or shock (rapid drop in BP shunting fluid to peripheral edema)
- Late phase reaction (4 hrs to a few days) mediated by leukotrienes (formerly known as SRS-A)
- Tx by desensitization, mast cell stabilizers, anti-histaminics
- Granules must fuse w/ cell membrane for release. If mast cell membrane “stabilized” granules cannot fuse. If no release = no activity
Describe type II hypersensitivity
- Cytotoxic Reactions
- Binding of specific antibody to an antigen on a cell leads to cell damage and/or lysis
- Three variants
- Complement mediated: IgG or IgM binds, activating complement to C9 fraction-mediated lysis
- Antibody binding leads to opsonization
- ADCC - antibody binds and exposed Fc fragment causes cell lysis through NK and monocyte activation
- Systemic disease ex. include
- Myasthenia Gravis - target antigen is ach receptor
- Graves Disease - target antigen is TSH receptor
- Insulin-resistant diabetes - target is insulin receptor
Describe type III hypersensitivity response
- Soluble antigen + soluble antibody = forms an immune complex.
- Circulating immune complex can deposit in vessel walls, activating complement resulting in chemotaxis
- Antibody excess = leads to rapid complex deposition and local arthus reaction (e.g. khoadadust line)
- RA = rheumatoid factor is produced - an IgM autoantibody to IgG leading to immune-complex deposition in joints, etc
- These conditions worsen with each subsequent exposure & include occupational allergies
- Antigen + Antibody form an immune complex. These immune complex can deposit in vessels walls, activating complement leading to chemotaxis & tissue destruction
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Ex. of systemic immune complex - mediated disease
- SLE
- Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)
- Reactive arthritis (Reiter’s Syndrome)
Describe type IV cell - Mediated or “Delayed” Hypersensitivity
- Primarily TH-1 mediated, occur 18-24 hours after exposure, leading to lymphokine release & monocyte/macrophage activation
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Variants include:
- Contact hypersensitivity: Langerhans cells (e.g. poison ivy, medicamentosa)
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Granulomatous hypersensitivity - persistent antigenic presence in macrophages that cannot be destroyed or by persistent immune complexes (Chalazia)
- In UK, this class V
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Cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity - reaction consists of erythema, without the induration typical of classical delayed hypersensitivity reactions. The erythema is accompanied by an infiltration of primarily basophils. The response is T-cell directed & MHC restricted
- This interesting variant is likely a component of CL-related giant papillary conjunctivitis & mechanical irritation
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Diseases
- RA - citrullunated proteins
- MS - anti-myelin basic proteins
- Type I DM - pancreatic beta cell antigens
- Inflammatory Bowel disease - cross reactivity of bacterial & self antigens
- Psoriasis
What are the differences between Th-1 & Th-2 cells?
- TH-1 & TH-2 cells are sub-classes of T helper cells. Cytokines of each group tend to inhibit the cells of the other group.
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Th-1
- Prodce IFN-y & IL-2
- Th-1 cells usually dominate responses against intracellular pathogens such as viruses & bacteria
- Granulomas produced in TB are therefore TH-1 dominated
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Th-2
- produce IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, & IL-13
- dominate against extracellular pathogens
- Granulomas produced in response to foreign materials therefore TH-2 dominated
What is regional immunity?
- Pathogens have specific strategies for gaining access to different tissues
- Each of these tissues has specialized responses that are variants on the general pattern in order to optimize protection while prioritizing critical functions of that tissue or organ
What is GALT/MALT?
- Gut/Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue
- Antigen placed on a mucosal surface ilicits a large IgA response
- Exposure to one mucosa confers immunity on all mucosa but not skin. Indeed skin responses improperly expressed in mucosa are damaging (ex. cicatricial pemphigoid)
What is unique about the eyes immune system?
- No intraocular lymphatic supply - nodes are not the primary reactive immune organ
- Avascular tissues - HIV in corneal transplants does not transmit disease
- No langerhans cells in central cornea
- Ocular immune privileges
- ACAID (Anterior Chamber Associated Immune Deviation) - tolerance to antigens
The only tissue with a lymphatic supply is the _____.
Conjunctiva
In some conditions these vessels dilate and can be seen directly
Epibulbar tumors and Intraocular tumors require what types of work up?
Epibulbar = lymphatic & vascular work up for METS
Intraocular = only vascular work ups
Inside the eye, the kinds of standard inflammatory responses that work well in the skin and other tissues can be worse than the diseases itself in terms of reducing vision. What are some examples?
Corneal ulcer w/ secondary uveitis
Endophthalmitis
How does the eye react to antigens?
- Minimize cell-mediated inflammation
- Minimize antibody-dependent reactions that involve significant complement activation
- Allow antibody-dependent reactions that activate complement minimally if at all
- Systemically suppress a potential delayed type hypersensitivity response to antigen presented inside the eye
How does type I hypersensitivity work and what are some examples?
- Mast cells bind IgE via their Fc receptor. If subsequently an allergen, by binding to 2 IgE molecules cross-links the Fc receptors, the mast cell degranulates & releases mediators that produce allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity usually appears on repeated contact with the allergen
- Examples of type I allergic reactions
- Anaphylaxis
- Atopic asthma
- Atopic eczema
- Acute drug allergy
- Hay fever
- Usually blood-borne for systemic response or a response at a surface such as cornea and conjunctiva rather than intraocular
How does type II hypersensitivity work and what is an example?
- Cytotoxic hypersensitivity
- rare reactions that are typically caused by IgG and IgM antibodies.
- This response may occur when target antigen is part of the surface of specific host cell or tissue
- associated with autoimmune disease, drug reactions, and transplantations
- Occur when IgG and IgM antibodies bind to host cells and tissues to form complexes that activate complement pathway which eliminated host cells
- These are the responses that reject tumor cells and reject grafts leading to cell death by C9 or NK cells deployment
- Ex. Corneal Graft Rejection, KPS Descemets folds, stromal haze = acute rejection,
- Soluble immune complexes (antigen & IgG or IgM) are deposited in the tissue. complement is activated and PMN cells (to lesser extent monocytes) are attracted, causing local tissue damage & inflammation
How does type IV hypersensitivity work?
- T cells sensitized to antigen and release lymphokines during second contact w/ antigen
- Cytokines induce an inflammatory response, they also activate and attract macrophages, which release inflammatory mediators.
- Antibodies produced against fixed cellular or tissue antigens are usually the autoantibodies; less frequently they are produced against extrinsic antigens. This is the delayed type hypersensitivity.
- A variant of this is response seen in granulomatous disease