Regulation of immunity 2 Flashcards
What is immune tolerance?
A state of unresponsiveness of the immune system to specific antigens, immune tolerance usually occurs to prevent immune attacks against self-tissues
What are the two main types of immune tolerance?
Central tolerance and peripheral tolerance
Where does central tolerance occur for T cells?
In the thymus during T cell development
Where does central tolerance occur for B cells?
In the bone marrow during B cell development
What is the role of AIRE in central tolerance for T cells?
AIRE facilitates the expression of peripheral tissue antigens in the thymus for negative selection of self-reactive T cells
What is clonal deletion in central tolerance?
The process where self-reactive T or B cells are eliminated through apoptosis during development
What is receptor editing in central tolerance for B cells?
A mechanism where B cells rearrange their immunoglobulin genes to generate a new non-self-reactive B cell receptor
What is clonal anergy?
A state of functional unresponsiveness in T or B cells that recognize self-antigens without co-stimulatory signals
What is clonal ignorance?
When self-reactive T or B cells ignore antigens in immune-privileged sites such as the brain or the eye
What is peripheral tolerance?
Mechanisms that regulate immune responses to self-antigens in peripheral tissues
What are T regulatory cells (Tregs)?
CD4+ T cells that suppress immune responses and maintain self-tolerance
What are the two main types of Tregs?
Thymus-derived Tregs (nTregs) and peripheral-induced Tregs (pTregs or iTregs)
What cytokines are critical for Treg function?
TGF-beta and IL-10
How do Tregs suppress immune responses?
Through secretion of suppressive cytokines like IL-10 and TGF-beta and by directly interacting with antigen-presenting cells and effector T cells
What is activation-induced cell death (AICD)?
A process where persistent antigen exposure induces apoptosis in activated T cells through Fas-FasL interactions