PMI02-2006 Flashcards
What is the surface area of the gut and the skin?
Gut = 400m^2
Skin = 2m^2
What is the main route of entry for infectious microbes?
Mucosal surfaces
Compare systemic and mucosal environments.
Systemic = contained, sterile and rarely encounters unidentified antigens
Mucosa = Exposed, non-sterile and encounters unidentified antigens continuously
What is the importance of mucosal immunity?
Protection against pathogens
Prevention of hypersensitivity to foods/commensals
Immunopathology
Vaccine development (administered via mucosa)
Lymphocyte development
What is included under the term “mucosal surfaces/tissues”?
GI tract
Uro-genital tract and kidneys
Eyes, nasal and oral cavity, lungs (respiratory tract)
Exocrine glands (lacrimal, salivary, mammary)
What non-immunological barriers are present at mucosal surfaces?
Natural barriers (eg stomach acid)
Mucin
Peristalsis
Proteolysis/enzymes
Tight junctions
What immunological barriers are present at mucosal surfaces?
Secretory IgA/IgM
Intraepithelial lymphocytes
Phagocytes
What are the two types of regional secondary mucosal immune tissues?
Inductive and effector sites
What are inductive sites?
Where the immune response is induced and regulated
What are effector sites?
Where the immune response has an impact
What does MALT stand for?
Mucosal associated lymphoid tissue
Inductive and effector sites
What is meant by the common mucosal immune system?
All the different mucosal surfaces of the body are part of one “common” system connected by the lymphatic and circulatory systems
Exposure at one inductive site will give rise to responses in many effector sites
What are the inductive and effector sites of the GALT?
Inductive = Peyer’s patches, isolated lymphoid follicles, mesenteric lymph nodes
Effector = lamina propria
Describe Peyer’s patches.
Sub-epithelial follicles located throughout the small intestine (~200 in humans)
50% B cells, 30% T cells, 8% macrophages
(Very few plasma cells)
Connected to lymphatic system via efferent lymph vessels only (via mesenteric lymph nodes)
B cells here give rise to IgA-producing plasma cells which can move to all mucosal sites in the body
Describe isolated lymphoid follicles.
Induced by products of commensal gut microbes (so are not present before birth)
Mainly B cells, some T cells and dendritic cells
More numerous than Peyer’s patches
What are M cells associated with?
Peyer’s patches
Isolated lymphoid follicles
What does the M in M cells mean?
Microfold
Describe M cells.
Unique epithelial cell subset existing within the main epithelial layer above Peyer’s patches and isolated lymphoid follicles
Specialised in uptake and transepithelial transport of particulate antigens (large and bulky)
No brush border but instead have surface folds
Large basal invagination to allow dendritic and T/B cells to engage and rapidly contact antigens
Describe how T cell activation occurs at M cells.
- M cell takes up antigen by endocytosis or phagocytosis
- Antigen is transported across M cell in vesicles and released at basal surface
- Antigen is bound by dendritic cells which activate T cells
Give an example of an antigen that will be transported across an M cell.
Toxins of Cholera, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Shigella, E.coli
Latex particles
Horseradish peroxidase
Ferritin
Poliovirus, HIV
Fungi