WEEK 4 - IMMUNOLOGY Flashcards
What are C3a, C4a & C5a and what do they cause?
- They are anaphylatoxins & cause:
- Contraction of smooth muscle
- Increased vasodilation
- Activation of mast cells or neutrophils
- Increased fluid in the tissue and speeds up lymph flow
Describe the process of complement activation
30 plasma proteins
Circulate in blood as inactive precursors
Activated in response to infection – cascade reaction => rapid amplification of activated proteins
- Inflammation - by stimulation of histamine release from mast cells (mast cell degranulation)
- Chemotactic agents - recruitments of neutrophils & macrophages to site of infection
- Cell lysis - through pore formation in cell membranes– including bacteria.
- Opsonisation – coating of surface area leading to increased phagocytosis
What are the 2 innate pathways through which the complement system is activated and where do they converge?
- Alternative & Lectin Pathway
- antibody-dependent pathway – Classical Pathway
All pathways converge on C3
What are the main differences between acute and chronic inflammation?
- Acute inflammation is manifested by vascular changes, oedema and predominantly neutrophilic inflammation
- Chronic inflammation is characterized by:
- Tissue destruction (induced by the persistent offending agent or by the inflammatory cells)
- Attempts of healing: Replacement of damaged tissue by connective tissue (fibrosis and angiogenesis) and tissue proliferation
- Infiltration with mononuclear cells (macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells)
What is a granuloma?
. Granulomas are aggregates of chronically stimulated inflammatory cells, mm in size but they are a collection of macrophages which become modified to form epithelioid cells with a surrounding zone of T lymphocytes.
What is the function of a granuloma?
A granuloma is an attempt by the body to inhibit the spread of an infectious organisms e.g. bacteria and encapsulate it to prevent further spread.
What are the problems with granulomas?
The centre will become caseous and necrotic, eventually undergoing fibrosis and calcification. Granulomas can compromise the function of the organ due to their size.
What are Acute phase proteins?
- Plasma proteins
- Produced in the liver in response to cytokines secreted during inflammation – up to 1000 fold increase in plasma concentration
Give examples of acute phase proteins and which cytokine they are produced in response to.
- C-reactive protein and Fibrinogen are produced in response to IL-6
- Serum amyloid A protein is produced in response to In response to IL-1 and/or TNFa
How are acute phase proteins useful in a clinical setting?
MARKERS FOR SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE
- Determine severity of disease
- Monitor response to treatment
Give some examples of Lab diagnostic tests for immune mediated disease, viral infection (antibody)
- ELISA
- Coombs test
- Radial immunodiffusion
- Immunofluorescence
- Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA)
- Paired serology testing for respiratory disease diagnosis
What is the function of tolerance to an antigen?
- prevents damage to “self”
- regulates immune response to environmental antigens and fetus during pregnancy
Where does tolerance to an antigen develop?
develops outside the thymus or bone marrow in “peripheral” lymphoid organs / tissues
What are the 2 types of tolerance?
- Central tolerance
- Peripheral tolerance
What is central tolerance?
education of T lymphocytes in thymus & B lymphocytes in bone marrow duration maturation
What is peripheral tolerance?
T and B cells in secondary (peripheral) lymphoid tissues require further education and regulation. Normally these responses are regulated by T regulatory cells but when these fail, disease develops – multiple examples
What happens if there is failure of tolerance? Give examples.
immune mediated disease
- Allergy (hypersensitivities) to food, fleas etc
environmental atopy
- autoimmune diseases (e.g. immune mediated haemolytic anaemia)
- immunodeficiency (SCID in dog & horse)
- uncontrolled inflammation
What is the definition of Hypersensitivity?
Sensitisation then repeated exposure of genetically susceptible individuals to the same antigen can lead to harmful, standard responses (which in non-sensitised animals are beneficial).
What are the two forms of immunodeficiency?
Primary – young animals
Secondary - adults
What are the consequences of immunodeficiency?
- Immune system is damaged & unresponsive
- Non specific (i.e. not restricted to one antigen)
- Their presence may have an impact of vaccination effectiveness
Define hypersensitivity
- Undesirable reaction produced by the normal immune system” e.g. allergens or autoimmunity
- Immunological sensitisation to an inocuos environmental antigen (allergen) which leads to an excessive or inappropriate immune response or hypersensitivity on re-exposure to that antigen
Name the four types of hypersensitivity (I-IV)
- Type I (Immediate, antibody IgE mediated) 15-20min
- Type II (Antibody IgG mediated cytotoxic activity) days
- Type III (Immune complex mediated) 24h
- Type IV (T cell mediated, delayed type hypersensitivity DTH) 24-72h
Give some common immune mediated diseases of skin
- Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD)
- Atopic dermatitis
Give some causes of Acute hypersensitivity
- Contact with or infection by micro-organisms
- Physical (e.g burns, UV light)
- Chemical corrosives or irritants
- Tissue necrosis
Give some causes of Chronic hypersensitivity
Including immune mediated diseases.
- Persistent infection by micro-organisms
- Persistent presence of non-living material
How does healing of an inflammatory response normally occur?
- Reduced presence of antigen (e.g bacteria) reduces
cytokine/chemokine production - Anti-inflammatory cytokines and inhibitors produced
which ‘switch off’ the production and inhibit the effect
of pro-inflammatory cytokines - Acute inflammatory response is switched off
What are the 2 phases of the hypersensitivity immune response?
- Sensitisation
- Re-exposure
What happens in the sensitisation phase of the hypersensitivity response?
- Immune system exposed to antigen or allergen for 1st
time - No clinical disease
- Abnormal immune response generated (primary IR,
sensitised)
What happens in the Re-exposure phase of the hypersensitivity response?
- Immune system re-exposed to same antigen or
allergen - Abnormal immune response is present & increases
(secondary IR, primed) - Clinical disease apparent
What are some localised examples of Type I hypersensitivity?
pruritis (itch), bronchoconstriction
What are some systemic examples of Type I hypersensitivity?
anaphylactic shock
What are some allergic skin diseases of special significance that are Type I hypersensitivity reactions?
- Atopic dermatitis (AD)
- Flea allergic dermatitis (FAD)
What is Atopy?
Genetic tendency to develop allergic disease
What is Environmental atopy?
Hypersensitivity in skin, respiratory tract
When does atopic dermatitis occur?
Atopic dermatitis occurs when atopic animals come into contact with allergen.
Describe the Immune response during FAD (an example of mixed hypersensitivities)
- Type I hypersensitivity
(Mast cells, and IgE in skin)- usually also causes migration of eosinophils into skin
basophils also sensitive to allergens in flea saliva (remember fleas feed on blood therefore basophils would contact allergen) - Type IV hypersensitivity
Many animals also show type IV hypersensitivity, therefore allergen exposure tests are measured after about 20 min (Type I) and also after 2-3 days (Type IV)
Give an example of Type I hypersensitivity used in a clinical setting.
Intradermal skin testing for environmental atopy allergens.
What are some examples of clinical disease caused by Type II hypersensitivity?
- Incompatible blood transfusion (cats)
- Autoimmune diseases: haemolytic anaemia,
thrombocytopaenia, neutropaenia myasthenia gravis
How does Type II hypersensitivity occur?
- Antibody mediated cytotoxic reactions involving cells
too - Reaction to self antigen or small molecule e.g. drug
How is the host cell destroyed in hypersensitivity?
- Opsonisation & complement
- Antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)
- Macrophage phagocytosis
- Natural killer cell granules
What is Pemphigus foliaceus and how does it work?
- autoimmune disease
- autoantibodies target desmosome between
keratinocytes - vesicles & pustules form
How does Type III hypersensitivity work?
- Immune complexes (Ag-Ab) form ie. antibody based
- Deposit tiny antibody-antigen complexes in wall of
small capillaries (renal glomerulus, uveal tract,
synovium, cutaneous epidermal basement
membrane) - Leads to vasculitis & ischaemic necrosis
- Reaction within 24h
What are the 2 types of Type III hypersensitivity?
- Antibody excess
- Antigen excess
What are the benefits of Type III hypersensitivity?
clearing infectious agents by phagocytosis / opsonisation
What are the benefits of Type II hypersensitivity?
clearance of virus infected cells
What are some examples of type III hypersensitivity clinical diseases?
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
- Polyarthritis
- Nephritis
- Post-infection reactions e.g inflammatory joint disease
following bacterial infection
What are the benefits of Type IV hypersensitivity?
Clearance of intracellular pathogens
How does Type IV hypersensitivity work?
- Occurs within 24-72h
- Involves dendritic cells and ‘primed’ T cells (e.g
memory T cells) - T cells recruit and activate mononuclear cells (e.g
monocytes and tissue macrophages) - Inflammation at the site of DC/T cell interaction occurs
(rather than in the draining lymph node)
What are some examples of type IV hypersensitivity clinical diseases?
- Granuloma formation in cattle
- The tuberculin reaction in skin of cattle
- Allergic contact (Atopic dermatitis)-Note this disease
has both type I and type IV components
Whats is the process of Granuloma formation?
- Granuloma occurs when pathogens survive in
macrophages - A granuloma is cellular attempt to contain an
offending agent that is difficult to eradicate - Chronically infected macrophage constantly produces
TNF-α and this stimulates T lymphocytes to produce
IFN-γ (These 2 cytokines are believed to maintain the
granuloma in tissue)
What are some examples of Diseases involving granuloma formation?
- Johne’s disease or paratuberculosis (Mycobacterium
avium paratuberculosis, MAP) in the intestine - - Tuberculosis in lungs of cattle
- Brucellosis – zoonotic infection with Brucella bacteria
How does Tuberculin testing work?
- Bovine TB reactors tested by single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin test (SICCT Test)
- Animals which are positive for Mycobacterium bovis will react to intradermal injection of Mycobacterium bovis antigen within about 3 days (delayed reaction).
- This occurs because T cells have already been primed by previous exposure to antigen and is a good example of Type IV hypersensitivity
What are some Potential treatment strategies for hypersensitivities?
- Generally anti-inflammatory for both AD and FAD
- Glucocorticoids (often with antibiotics)
- Allergen removal
In the case of FAD, removal of fleas from the animal
and the home is important - Shampoos
- Dietary modification
- Contact desensitisation
Increasing small doses of antigen lead to tolerance
Variable success
What is Primary (central) lymphoid tissue? Give examples.
Where lymphocytes are generated/matured:
- Bone marrow
- Thymus gland
- Bursa of Fabricius (in birds)
- Ileal Peyers patch (in sheep,cattle, pigs, dogs and horses)
- Appendix (caecal patch) (in rabbits)
What is Secondary lymphoid tissue? Give examples.
Where lymphocytes interact with Antigen Presenting Cells (APC) and immune responses are generated:
- Lymph nodes
- Mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT, e.g. BALT)
Spleen
How do lymphocytes look on cytology?
- Large nucleus
- Thin rim of cytoplasm
What are the lymphocyte subset?
- B cells or lymphocytes = plasma cells
- T cells or lymphocytes = CD4+ OR CD8+
What do lymphocytes express?
each cell expresses 1000s of identical receptors, unique for a single epitope/antigenic peptide
Where do B lymphocytes mature?
Bursa of Fabricius in birds or in the Bone marrow in mammals
Where do T lymphocytes mature?
Mature in the thymus
What is the function of T and B cell receptors?
T and B cell receptors recognise epitopes
What are the names of the T and B cell receptors?
- T cell receptor (TCR or CD3)
- B cell receptor (BCR or membrane immunoglobulin)
What are the properties of CD3?
- unique to T cells
- recognises a small peptide of the antigen, presented by MHC molecules on another cell
- the receptors on a single cell are identical and specific for a single epitope (~30,000)
What happens when an antigen binds to TCR?
Antigen binding to TCR results in a signalling cascade leading to lymphocyte activation & proliferation
What are the properties of B cell receptors?
- unique to B cells
- recognises a larger antigenic epitope, binds it directly
antigen processing and presentation is not needed
the receptors on a single cell are identical and specific
for a single epitope (~30,000)
What happens when an antigen binds to BCR?
Antigen binding to BCR results in antigen presentation to T cells and a signalling cascade leading to lymphocyte activation & proliferation
How is diversity generated in lymphocytes and why is this needed?
- There are not enough genes in an organism’s
genome to encode these variants in full - To generate diversity, assembly occurs in a
developing lymphocyte by somatic DNA
recombination of different gene segments of the V region
What are the 2 main forms of antigen uptake?
- Exogenous (MHC class II restricted)
- Endogenous MHC class I restricted
Give examples of Exogenous (MHC class II restricted) antigen uptake.
- Infectious (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, helminths)
- Environmental (pollen, dust mites, food)
- Opsonised agents, BCR bound
How does Exogenous (MHC class II restricted) antigen uptake work?
- Enter host cell endosomes via phagocytosis &
pinocytosis - Can also enter by APC’s PRR recognition of PAMPs on
micro-organisms and binding to BCR on B cells - Peptides derived from foreign object are presented
by MHC class II on cell surface
Give examples of Endogenous MHC class I restricted antigen uptake.
Antigens from self, tumours, intracellular viruses, parasites etc (if infect cell)
How does Endogenous MHC class I restricted antigen uptake work?
- Enters host cell’s cytoplasm
- Peptides derived from foreign object are presented by MHC class I on cell surface
- Cross presentation can occur
What does the Route of antigen uptake into the cell dictate and why is this important?
- Route of antigen uptake into the cell will determine
the bias of the immune response - The form in which antigens are presented to the
immune system is therefore crucial
T cells must have peptide antigens presented to them in the groove of a specific class of MHC molecule. How are T cells MHC I restricted?
- presents peptides to T cytotoxic cells
- follows endogenous antigen processing e.g. viral
infection of host cell - most host cells express MHC class I so can present antigen to Tc
T cells must have peptide antigens presented to them in the groove of a specific class of MHC molecule. How are T cells MHC II restricted?
- presents peptides to T helper cells
- follows processing of exogenous antigens e.g.
phagocytosis, endocytosis - most host cells do not express MHC class II, unless
“inflamed” so presentation is largely via APC
What are the properties of polyclonal antibodies?
- serum
- contains multiple clones of plasma cells
- antibodies against multiple epitopes are secreted
- can be used for passive transfer of immunoglobulin into new born mammals & in diagnostic tests etc
What are the properties of Monoclonal antibodies?
- produced in vitro
- contains a single clone of plasma cells
- antibodies against a single epitope are secreted
- starting to be used therapeutically as well as
diagnostically
Describe clonal expansion - What happens once the antigen is presented?
- Co-stimulation (multiple signals)
- Lymphocyte activation then division
- Multiple “clones” of identical antigen specific T or B
lymphocytes
What happens in the absence / incomplete cascade of co-stimulation signals?
In the absence / incomplete cascade of co-stimulation signals, you get tolerance to the antigen.
What is the 1st signal in T Cells?
Engagement of TCR with MHC and antigen. TCR can only recognise cognate peptide antigen in conjunction with MHC presented by APC
What is the 2nd signal in T Cells?
Co-stimulation to stabilise contact between the APC & T cell e.g. CD4-MHC II or CD8-MHC I
What is the 3rd signal in T Cells?
APC cytokines bind to T cell receptors
What is the outcome of co-stimulation in T Cells?
This induces intracellular signalling which drives the T cell to activation.
What is the process of Co-stimulation in B cells?
- Signal 1: antigen binds to BCR (surface immunoglobulin) on B cells. The B cell processes the antigen and presents it on the surface with MHC class II
- Signal 2: The peptide-MHC complex is recognised by circulating, antigen specific T helper cells. These then co-stimulation the B lymphocyte via secretion of cytokines
What happens if co-stimulation fails?
- Tolerance to an antigen
- occurs if even one of these co-stimulatory signals is absent
antigen specific
Where does tolerance normally occur?
Tolerance normally develops outside the primary lymphoid tissues, in “periphery” e.g. gut
Why is tolerance important?
- very important regulation of immune response:
- tolerance to food, fleas etc develops, allows survival of the fetus & placenta
What happens if there is failure of tolerance?
- failure of tolerance leads to auto-immune disease (multiple conditions in small animals), allergy to food, fleas etc
What Changes within the cell occur during clonal expansion?
- Cell enlarges (lymphoblast)
- Lymphoblasts which are specific for a single antigen divide - clonal expansion
- After 5 day period there could now be up to 1000 identical effector cells
- Interleukin-2 (IL-2) secreted by T cells promotes proliferation
- Effector (& memory) cells produced
What are B cells?
B cells are the precursors of plasma cells.
What is the difference between B cells and Plasma cells?
The key difference is that B cells only have immunoglobulin on their surface (gM and IgD). In contrast plasma cells secrete IgG immunoglobulin, which can then be found in blood, lymph and within interstitium.
How many signals are required for naive B cell activation?
- binding of antigen to their surface immunoglobulin (B
cell receptor) & internalisation - molecular interaction with Th2 cells in T cell areas of
lymphoid tissue. CD40-CD40L binding - co-stimulation by cytokines from the Th2 cell
What happens to B cells on activation?
On activation, B cells undergo:
- class switch
- clonal proliferation
- transformation into lymphoblasts then plasma cells
- formation of memory cells
Describe the Antibody synthesised by plasma cells.
- Same antigen specificity as parent B cells
- Same immunoglobulin class as parent B cells
- Promoted by cytokines (IL-6, IL-11)
Where are B cells/plasma cells located?
- During an immune response, antigen drains to the local lymph nodes, where naïve B cells are activated and multiplying plasma cells are found in the germinal centres of the lymph node.
- Plasma cells tend to remain in lymphoid tissues, rarely found in blood but sometimes in tissues.
- Final stages of B cell maturation occurs in ileal Peyer’s patch (ruminants & dogs) or in avians, Bursa of Fabricius
How are Memory B lymphocytes similar to normal B lymphocytes?
Still require signals & help from Th2 cells to become activated
How are Memory B lymphocytes different to normal B lymphocytes?
- much more rapid Ab synthesis
- increased affinity for Ag
- increased expression of MHC class II & co-stimulatory
molecules - interact with armed T cells at lower Ag dose
What is the Fab region of immunoglobulins?
antigen binding site
What is the Fc constant region of immunoglobulins?
Determines biological activity, actively transport immunoglobulin to location & binds to FcR on phagocytes - antigen destruction!
What are the main functions of antibodies?
- Soluble Ab binds pathogen / toxin
- Ag-Ab complexes form
- Antibody binds to antigens on cells
- Antibody on surface of B cells binds antigen
What is the Effect & impact of Soluble Ab binds pathogen / toxin?
Pathogen is neutralised - further infection blocked
What are the Effects & impacts of Ag-Ab complexes forming?
- Opsonisation by complement - phagocytosis
- Binding to FcR on phagocytes - phagocytosis
- Persistence can damage organs (Type III hypersensitivity)
- Crosslinking of IgE receptors - degranulation of mast cells