Skin Immunology Flashcards
what is a cytokine?
a protein sent by one cell and recognised + responded to by another
what is hypersensitivity?
an overreaction to an antigen
what forms the keratin layer?
terminal differentiation of keratinocytes to corneocytes
what are three structural proteins in the keratin layer and epidermis?
filaggrin
involucrin
keratin
what is another name for the keratin layer?
the stratum corneum
what is the immunological role of keratinocytes?
sense pathogens via cell surface receptors and help mediate an immune response
what can activate a keratinocyte?
UV
sensitisers
what three immune components can keratinocytes produce?
AMPs
cytokines
chemokines
what do AMPs do?
directly kill pathogens
in which disease have high levels of AMP been found in the skin?
psoriasis
what do cytokines and chemokines do?
recruit and regulate the cells of the immune system
what type of cell is a langerhans cell?
dendritic
antigen presenting cells
what is the main resident immune cell of the skin?
langerhans cells
what characterises the langerhans cells?
the birbeck granule
what T cells are found in a health epidermis?
CD8 mainly