The Humoral Immune Response Flashcards
What stage of antigen independent B-cell development does positive selection for a good BCR occur in?
Pre-B cell stage
What stage of antigen independent B-cell development is characterized by B-cell tolerance?
What are the three features of B-cell tolerance?
Immature B-cell stage.
- BCR editing
- Deletion
- Anergy
What antigen dependent events occur in the paracortex to help the B-cell differentiate?
- APC presents the antigen to a T-cell
- T-cell proliferates and differentiates
- T-cell interacts with B cell (CD40/40L) to provide “signal 2” to the B cell
- The B-cell receives cytokines and either:
a. ) forms a Primary focus to release Ab
b. ) migrate to the cortex of the LN or spleen to enter a follicle for further differentiation
What events occur in the dark zone of the germinal center?
What events occur in the light zone?
B-cells enter the germinal center from the paracortex and in the dark zone:
- clonally expand
- somatic mutation (AID dependent)
In the light zone:
- FDC helps select the most fit B-cell
- B-cells go through class switching
What are the four major differences between the 2nd and 1st response to an antigen?
- 2nd is quicker
- more antibody is made
- IgG>>IgM
- The antibody has higher affinity for the antigen
The primary IgM response arises from the activation of ___________________.
During the lag phase, what three major events occur?
virgin (naive) B-cells
Lag Phase events:
- B-cell recognizes antigen
- Clonal expansion of B-cell
- Differentiation in the primary focus
Because in the primary response, the B-cells differentiate in the primary focus rather than the germinal center, what will be missing from the IgG cells?
Affinity maturation (no somatic rearrangement or FDC “survival of the fittest”)
What is the time line of IgM titer after first antigen exposure?
7 days- IgM appears
10 days- IgM peaks
14 days- IgM returns to baseline
You take a serum patient sample and the IgM titer is higher than the IgG titer. What information does this give you about the infection?
It is a primary infection (first exposure to this antigen) and it is a very RECENT INFECTION (IgM develops before IgG)
What B cells are critical for fueling a secondary immune response?
Where are they located?
Memory B-cells (class-switched and mutated)
They are located in the marginal sinus or subcapsular sinus
Which antibody increases quicker upon secondary exposure to an antigen? Why?
IgG predominates and arises faster because memory B cells have higher affinity IgG BCR.
What two factors cause the secondary immune response to be quicker and stronger?
- Memory B-cells are in the marginal sinus so they will encounter the antigen faster
- Memory-B cells have reduced activation threshold (don’t need two signals like naive B-cells)
What type of dendritic cell is found in the paracortex of the LN?
What type of DC is found in the cortex?
Interdigitating DCs are in the T-cell zone to present antigen to the T-cells
FDC are in the B-cell follicles in the cortex of the LN
What are the three products of a successful immune response?
- Effector T- Cells
- Memory T and B cells
- Plasma cells and antibodies
What determines whether a cell will be a B-cell or a plasma cell?
RNA splicing events because there are (s) and (M) components that stand for secreted or membrane bound.
If the (s) exon is spliced next to the VDJ and Fc it will be secreted
What homing receptors on activated B and T cells will direct them to the inflamed tissue?
VLA4 to VCAM1 on the inflammed tissue
LFA1 to ICAM1 on the inflammed tissue
The presence of what cell allows the Memory B-cell to sample invading antigens?
Macrophages are in the subcapsular and marginal sinus so they can engulf and present antigens to the memory B-cells
Where would one find short-lived plasma cells?
Where do they secrete antibodies?
medullary cords of the LN or red pulp of the spleen.
They secrete antibodies into the efferent lymphatics
When plasma cells, Ig and effector lymphocytes flow out the efferent lymphatics, where do the plasma cells go?
What type of cell do they become and where do these cells secrete their antibodies?
They go to the bone marrow where they become long-lived plasma cells. They secrete Ig into the blood, contributing to serum levels of Ab.
In order for BCRs to generate a signal, what needs to happen?
Two or more adjacent IgM and/or IgD need to be crosslinked by the antigen