Principles of Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

What does natural passive immunity involve?

A

Placental transfer of IgG
Colostral transfer of IgA - yellowish liquid secreted by the mammary gland

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2
Q

What is human normal immunoglobulin?

A

A preparation of the proteins from the plasma contains anitbodies of normal adult levels from several different donors.

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3
Q

What is specific immunoglobulin?

A

A preparation from the human plasma that is selected for its particularly high immunoglobulin count against a specific pathogen.

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4
Q

What can immunoglobulins be used for?

A

Post - exposure prophylaxis

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5
Q

Give an example of Human Normal Immunoglobulin

A

Hepatits A, Measles, Rubella

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6
Q

Give an example of a human specific immuhnoglobulin

A

Hep B
Rabies
Tetanus

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7
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of passive immunity?

A

Advantages - Immediate protection

Disadvantages - Short term effect - no immunological memory

Serum Sickness - body recognises antibody as foreign - anaphylaxis

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8
Q

What is natural and artificial active immunisation?

A

Natural - exposure / infection

Artificial - Vaccination

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9
Q

What immunoglobulin is responsible for the primary response to infection?

A

IgM next is IgG

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10
Q

What are common diseases we vaccinate against?

A

Measles, mumps and rubella

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11
Q

Define contraindications

A

Procedure harmful to the person

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12
Q

What are the contraindications of vaccination?

A

Febrile illness - displaying symptoms of fever
Pregnancy - cannot be given live attenuated viruses

Allergy
Immunocompromised

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13
Q

How is attenuation of a live virus achieved?

A

Repeat passage in cell culture or a non-human host.

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14
Q

Why do attenuated viruses offer lifelong immunity?

A

They elicit a strong cellular and antibody response

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15
Q

What are the downsides to live attenuated viruses?

A

Remote possibility that the attenuated form can revert to a virulent form and cause disease

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16
Q

Who cannot be given attenuated viruses?

A

People who have a damaged or weak immune system

17
Q

Which microorganism allows easy/difficult formation of an attenuated vaccine?

A

Easy for viruses

Difficult for bacteria

18
Q

How are inactivated vaccines created?

A

Killing the disease causing microbe with chemicals (formaldehyde), heat or radiation

They are killed organisms, inactivated microbial exotoxin or purified fractions of the micro-organisms

19
Q

What is the advantage/disadvantage of inactivated vaccines?

A

More stable and safer than live vaccines

Stimulate weaker immune response

Adjuvant often required

20
Q

Define adjuvant

A

A substance that enhances the body’s immune response to an antigen

21
Q

What does an acellular vaccine consist of?

A

Only the antigenic part of the organism (flagella, capsule or part of the protein cell wall)

22
Q

Advantages and disadvantages of acellular vaccines?

A

Advantages - cannot cause disease - safe for immunocompromised

Disadvantages - Don’t induce the strongest immune response

23
Q

When are toxoid vaccines used?

A

When a bacterial toxin is the main cause of the illness

24
Q

How are the bacterial toxins inactivated?

A

They are treated with formalin

25
What is the immune response to a toxoid?
Learns how to fight off the natural toxin Antibodies produced that lock onto and block the toxin
26
How does the BCG vaccine protect against mycobacterium tuberculosis?
It uses an attenuated strain of mycobacterium bovis - similar to virulent organism but does not cause serious disease
27
What do subunit vaccines contain?
Antigens that best stimulate the immune system - use epitopes
28
What type of immune response do you get from subunit vaccines?
Strong immune response
29
How do conjugate vaccines work?
Link antigens or toxoids from the microbe to the polysaccharides - enabling the immature immune system to react to polysaccharide coatings Young children can't respond to antigens disguised by polysaccharide coatings
30
What are DNA vaccines?
DNA sequence coding for antigen is incorporated into some body cells, causes a large immune response
31
Give an example of an adjuvant
Aluminium salts, causes a mild inflammatory response
32
What is meant by heard immunity
Those who are vaccinated are less likely to be the ones spreading an infection, reduces risk of unvaccinated individuals being exposed to infection Individuals who cannot get vaccinated will benefit