Week 4 Immunodeficiency and immunomodulation Flashcards
What are the General principles of immune response?
Main physiological function is to protect from infection
Multilayer defense
Network of pathogen recognition
Adaptive responses to changing pathogen
Multiple mechanisms of pathogen clearance
Effective inter-cellular communication
Limitation of host damage
Self-regulation
what is the importance of patern recognition receptor ?
structures on macrophages–> can differentiate between gram positive, negative bacteria, fungi and virus
tell you what type of pathogen the body is dealing
What are the Major Components of the Innate Immune System?
Pattern recognition receptors
(PRR
Antimicrobial peptides
Cells
Cytokins
Complement components
What is the function of B cells?
develop potential to secret antibodies: humoral immunity
what are the different types of T cells and there function?
Killer or cytotoxic T lymphocytes are able to kill. Cellular immunity
Helper T lymphocytes secrete growth factors (cytokines) which control immune response: Help B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes (Helper T cells are target of HIV)
Suppressor T lymphocytes may damp down immune response
What are the different ways antibodies inactivate the antigen?
Neutralization, Agglutination of microbes and precipitation of dissolved antigens –> enhances phagocytosis
Activation of complement cascade –> Cell lysis
How does cytotoxic T cells work?
Cytotoxic T cell bind to the infected cell
They release perforin which damages the infected cell membrane and enzyme enteres
The infected cell is destroyed
What is immunodeficiency?
Clinical situations where the immune system is not effective enough to protect the body against infection
What are the causes of primary and secondary immunodeficiency?
Usually secondary to the effects of external factors
Some are primary immunodeficiencies caused by genetic defects in individual components of the immune system –> seen in children
What are the causes of SECONDARY OR ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCIES?
Stress
Surgery/burns
Malnutrition
Cancer – especially lymphoproliferative disease
Immunosuppressive effect of drugs inc. cancer therapy
Lymphocytes
Neutrophils
What are the characterstics of primary IMMUNODEFICIENCIES?
Very rare
Often diagnosed in early childhood but can present in
adult life
Recurrent infection often suggests immunological problem
How do you identify the underining cause of immunodeficiency?
The type of infection is a guide to underlying cause.
Laboratory tests confirm.
Are secondary immunodeficiency permanent?
No they can be transient or long lasting
Why is family history important to consider when considering a diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency?
Caused by genetic defects
What do you test for when examining someone with reccurent infection and are suspect of immunodeficiency?
You test for the levels of immunoglobulins for B cells , lymphocytes ,
neutrophils
Test of CRP if current infection to see if actually mounting an inflammatory response
Why would normal levels of immunoglobulins, lymphocytes and neutrophils be a indication of a problem for someone with a infection?
Normally these levels will be raised because of the infection. The fact that they are not means that the immune systme is not working properly
What is the role of IRAK?
is formed as part of the intracellular signalling pathway of toll like receptors (a type of PRR) when they encounter a pathogen - forms NF-kbeta which is a transcriptional factor which leads to the release of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines which leads to inflammatory and adaptive immune response
Why does deficiency in IRAK cause immunodeficiency?
Irak deficiency causes immunodeficiency because IRAK is a key component in the pathway to release of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines from the cells of the innate immune system which plays a role in the development of an adaptive and inflammatory response
How do you test for neutrophils?
Nitroblue tetrazolium test (NBT
What is the mechanism of phagocytosis in neutrophils?
NADP transport H ion
H ion travels into the cell via a specific proton channel
THis reduces the Ph within the cell making it more acidic. Therefore this allows proteolytic enzymes to enter the phagasome and destroy the pathogens
What is the defect in CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE ?
It is a an inherited disorder of phagocytic cells resulting in an inability to phagocytose pathogenic material
What diseases can occur in CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE ?
Osteomyelitis Pneumonia Swollen lymph nodes Ginigivitis Non-malignant granulomas Inflammatory bowel disease
what type of infection can indicate the person has immunodeficiency?
meningococcal meningitis
What are the 3 activating pathways for the complement pathway?
Classical pathway
Alternative pathway
MB-lectin pathway
In CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE (CGD) what is the effect on neutrophils?
The number of neutrophils is not reduced however due to not being able to transfer Hydrogen atoms the material within the neutrophil cannot be digested.
Therefore the size of the neutrophils increase
What happens in CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE (CGD) when neutrophils are being produced?
Chronic inflammation occurs because the rest of the immune system becomes fustrated and response by iinflammation.
How do you test for terminal complement pathway?
Take sheep RBC’s, incubate with patient serum -
2) If complement is functioning properly all the sheep RBCs should undergo haemolysis
During the testing of terminal complement pathway why does sheeps RBCs undergo haemolysis but human ones don’t?
Human RBCs have structures on the surface which inhibit our own complement system, sheep RBCs dont have this
What are the key steps in terminal complement pathway?
Activation of C3 convertase which cleaves C5 2) Cleaving of C5 to C5b allows the rest of the complement (C6-C9) to set on the surface of the bacteria and create pores which leads to the lysis of susceptible microorganisms
What is X-linked agammaglobulinaemia?
X linked mutation where there is a defect in B cells
What happens in X-linked agammaglobulinaemia and what type of infection is caused by this?
Lead to different degrees of loss of antibody secretion.
Usually leads to recurrent bacterial infection with pyogenic organisms.
When is X-linked agammaglobulinaemia diagnosed and why?
Usually diagnosed at around 1-2 years because maternal IgG protects until this point
How do you treat X-linked agammaglobulinaemia?
Treat with antibiotics then iv IgG
Keep things under control
Need a pool of donours
what are 6 PRIMARY B-CELL DEFICIENCIES?
Common Variable Immunodeficiency
X-linked agammaglobulinaemia
Autosomal recessive Hyper IgM syndrome
IgA Deficiency
IgG Subclass Deficiency
Transient Hypogammaglobulinaemia of infancy
Why if you were hospitalized with extensive oro-pharyngeal candida would this indicate a immunodeficiency?
Because candida does not usually cause a serious problem in healthy people
Compare the characteristic of the chicken pox in a healtyh and immmunodeficient person?
Healthy : Mild disease
Typical vesicles
Immundeficient: Fulminant ((severe and sudden onset) disease
Haemorrhagic lesions
Severe combined immunodeficiency syndromes (SCID) refers to defects in what 2 kinds of cells?
B and T cells
What are the symptoms of Severe combined immunodeficiency syndromes (SCID)?
Symptoms are recurrent infection with opportunistic infections, bacteria, viruses, Fungi (candida), protozoa (pneumocystis).
Treatment for SCID?
Bone Marrow Transplantation curative
Gene therapy
GIve 4 examples of PRIMARY T- CELL DEFICIENCIES?
Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency
Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase Deficiency
MHC Class II Deficiency
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
What type of syndrome is Primary T-Cell Deficiencies?
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency syndromes
The presence of Mycobacterium who indicate a defect in ?
Defects in cytokines
If there was a defect in complement what infection would this present?
Meningococcus
Presence of Pneumococcus and HSV would indicate the defect in what?
Defect in PRR
A defect in B cells would present with what infection?
Recurrent sino-pulmonary infections
A defect in T cells would present with what infection?
SCID, opportunistic infections
The presence of ) Staphylococcus 2) Aspergillus would indicate a defect in what part of the immune system?
Defects in neutrophils and macrophages
What is the defintion of immunodulation
The act of manipulating the immune system using immunomodulatory drugs to achieve
a desired immune response
What are the 3 different types of immunodulation caused by therapeutic effect?
immunopotentiation,
immunosuppression,
induction of immunological tolerance
What are the mechanisms of immunodulation?
Immunization Replacement therapy Immune stimulants Immune suppressants Anti-inflammatory agents Allergen immunotherapy (desentization) Adoptive immunotherapy