Exam 2 - Week 1 Flashcards
Describe gross/histological organization of thymus. Differentiate between the 3 parts and their individual function
- what type of selection in each part?
- *where do T cells vs B cells develop
- *Does thymus have lymphatic drainage? Why?
- Cortex; positive selection (some negative selection as well)
- outermost region of a thymic lobule (naive T cells) - Medulla; mainly negative selection
- innermost region of a thymic lobules (mature T cells and HASSALL’S corpuscle) - Junction region (cortico-medullary junction); where immature T cells enter the organ. Mature cells leave via vasculature. (Thymus is a primary lymphoid organ so no lymphatic drainage)
**
A. T cells born in bone marrow but develop in THYMUS (primary lymphoid organ)
B. B cells develop in BONE MARROW (both primary and secondary lymphoid organ)
Identify the following processes
- education of T cells to recognize non-self and ignore self
- occurs DURING DEVELOPMENT of the host
- occurs THROUGHOUT the LIFE of the host
- Central thymic tolerance induction
- TCR that posses low affinity for self-MHC are positively selected to further differentiate and function in adaptive immunity
- the T cells that posses useless TCR die by neglect - Peripheral tolerance induction
- some self-reactive cells do escape the thymus. (This is why you need a second system called peripheral/secondary tolerance)
- T cells become ANERGIZED here (in absence of co-stimulation)
* *Autoimmune reactions can still occur tho (third party stimulation?)
What is immunologic tolerance and what is the goal?
**what happens if these TCR/BCR recognize self?
- occurs during development to educate T and B cells to recognize epitopes derived from foreign pathogens and ignore those derived from self tissue
- the GOAL is that only T and B cells that have TCR and BCR that can bind to epitope of pathogen (MHC:peptide) should POPULATE THE PHERIPHERAL TISSUE
- The T and B cells that have TCR and BCR that recognize self will be excluded/deleted during development so as to allow non-self reactive cells to POPULATE SECONDARY LYMPHOID TISSUE AND ORGANS (spleen and lymph nodes)
The case where self is recognized is defined as an abnormal immune response against self tissue and organs mediated by T cells and antibody produced by B cells
- *what is this process called
- give some examples (6)
1) antibodies against joint tissue
2) immune system attack gut epithelium
3) immune system attack myelin sheath
4) attack beta cells producing insulin
5) T cells in skin cause formation of plaques
6) antibodies against thyroid cause hyperthyroidism
AUTOIMMUNITY; 80 different autoimmune diseases
1) Rheumatoid arthritis
2) IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)
3) Multiple sclerosis
4) Type 1 diabetes
5) Psoriasis
6) Graves’ disease
* *both CD4 and CD8 T cells can be affected and cause these problems
- What is the unique feature of thymus?
- found in THYMIC MEDULLA
- concentric arrangement of reticular epithelial cells
- secrete a cytokine called TSLP
- In vitro, they direct the maturation of dendritic cells and aid in DC generation of Tregs
- What happens to the thymus with age? Can new T cell precursors be generated?
- HASSALL’S CORPUSCLE
- A. HASSALL’S corpuscle
- STructures increase with age and may have a role in development of auto-immune disorders
- In vitro, they direct the maturation of dendritic cells and aid in DC generation of Tregs (with age, the more antigens you get exposed to, the more Tregs you need)
B. Thymus
- reduce in size (involutes) with age
- when thymus involutes, it develops adipose tissue but retains islands of thymic tissue which can continue to make T cell precursors if needed
- DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT CELLS in the thymus responsible for antigen presentation (5)
- which are derived in thymus vs bone marrow - What are cortical/medullary APCs
- Cortical epithelial cell
- thymic origin - Thymocytes (naive T cells start undergoing differentiation when they enter the thymus)
- bone marrow origin - Medullary epithelial cell
- thymic origin - Dendritic cell
- bone marrow origin - Macrophage
- bone marrow origin - 1 and 2 are in cortex, 3,4 and 5 in medulla
- Cortex is dense with immature T cells
- medulla is pale with mature T cells and Hassall corpuscles containing epithelial reticular cells
- What is the origin of thymic precursors
- What proteins turns on T cell differentiation in thymus by transcription of genes?
- How do the different T cells arise (alpha-beta, gamma-delta, CD4, CD8)
- When do gamma-delta T cells arise ? Where do gamma-delta T cells function ?
- Summarize early development of alpha-beta T cells in the thymus
- Bone marrow
- NOTCH
- Notch protein cleavage of intracellular domain results in transcription of genes leading to T cell differentiation
3. A. A common DOUBLE NEGATIVE T cell progenitor gives rise to alpha-beta and gamma-delta T cells (in cortex) B. Uncommitted DOUBLE POSITIVE thymocyte - express both CD4 and CD8. **Once in medulla junction, you encounter negative selection. If they bind to class I, you lose CD4, if you bind to class II, you lose CD8 **Double Negative (DN) cortical thymocytes express alpha-beta TCR and only later express CD4 and CD8 to become double positive thymocytes
- Gamma-delta T cells develop early in embryogenesis before many alpha-beta T cells and migrate preferentially to respiratory organs, skin and peritoneal cavity
- they have a VDJ set of genes that is more limited in recognition of pathogen compared to alpha-beta
- they respond more quickly that alpha-beta but do not generate memory - Progenitor cells originate in bone marrow - proliferate and travel to cortex - become double negative T cells which then commit to T lineage - rearrange beta genes (CHECKPOINT FOR PRE-TCR) - proliferating double negative pre-T cells become immature double positive cells - rearrange alpha genes (CHECKPOINT FOR PRE-TCR) - mature double positive cells (express CD4 and CD8)
Differentiate positive vs negative selection
- where do they occur ? Why?
- Positive selection; simply select what will bind to MHC (MHC:peptide)
- Thymic CORTEX; (Double + Tcells CD4/CD8), epithelial cells present here
- if T cell does not bind ; APOPTOSIS
- T cells expressing TCRs capable of BINDING SELF-MHC on cortical epithelial cells SURVIVE. - Negative selection; select what will bind with low affinity to MHC
- Thymic MEDULLA.
- if class I bound; CD8 retained, CD4 lost
- if class II bound; CD4 retained, CD8 lost
- T cells expressing TCRs with high afinity for self antigens undergo APOPTOSIS.
- T cells with low affinity binding of TCR to MHC:peptide will SURVIVE (seeds peripheral lymphoid organs)
Identify
- transcription factor that can reduce the number of self-reactive T cells that escape the thymus
- allows for expression of several hundred tissue specific genes to be expressed by subpopulation of thymic epithelial cells allowing T cells to become tolerant of antigens that are expressed in the periphery - called tissue specific antigens (TSA)
How?
Expressed where?
AIRE (Autoimmuen regulator)
- Tissue-restricted self-antigens (TSA) are expressed in the thymus due to the action of autoimmune
regulator (AIRE)
• Expressed in THYMIC MEDULLA - you get both thymic and other antigens found out in the periphery
• Children that lack the AIRE gene get disease get APECED Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystropy. (a lot of antigens left in periphery that cause damage)
**example is insulin secreted by beta cells is presented to T cells
- How are self-MHC class I and II proteins expressed in thymic APCs
- Where does the peptide come from?
- APCS are DCs, macrophages and other cells in thymus that do negative selection of alpha-beta T cells
- pathogens are destroyed by CTL, cytokines and antibodies - Antigen provides peptides for thymic epithelial cells and medullary DCs
- protein molecules expressed by cells in the thymus; APCs and debris from thymic microenvironment.
* *remember, no lymphatic fluid enter (Thymus is a primary lymphoid organ)
How is response to self controlled in the periphery
Aka If self reactive T cells escape the thymus, How are they controlled
• Thymus does not expressed every antigen found in body. The peptides are derived from proteins in thymus. So MHC:peptide is restricted to thymus (AIRE helps with antigen in periphery to be resented in thymus)
- you should eliminate all self- reactive T cells in thymus by central thymic tolerance
- however, some self reactive T cells get out into the periphery which can be anergic if there is no costimulation (peripheral tolerance)
- but why still have problem? Third party stimulation
• Self - reactive T Cells in periphery die cause of no stimulation. There is however a third party stimulation
- one way it could occur is during response to pathogen ; if chronic inflammation occurs, uptake and continues presentation of pathogen peptides could lead to mistakes - normal peptides could be presented along with costimulatory molecule expression
Match the follwoing thymocyte location and characteristics with the stage in development ]
- Double negative CD3- (no CD4 or CD8) thymocytes in the SUB CAPSULAR ZONE of thymic cortex
- Double positive CD3+ (have both CD4 and CD8) thymocytes in the THYMIC CORTEX
- Double positive CD3+ thymocytes throughout CORTEX and especially at the CORTICO-MEDULLARY JUNCTION
- Mature self-restricted, self-tolerant, single-positive CD4 or CD8 T cells leave the thymus in BLOOD VENULE
- Proliferation and differentiation to double-positive CD3+ thymocytes
- Positive selection (select T cells that bind self MHC)
- Negative selection (select T cells with low affinity binding to MHC)
- Entry to the circulation
- they are single positive here; either CD4 MHC class II:peptide or CD8 MHC class I:peptide
Differentiate the following
1.
- double + T cells (CD4/CD8)
- epithelial cells present
- self class I or II + peptide
- if T cell does not bind lead to apoptosis
- if T cell binds to self MHC signal ; T cell survives
- if class I bound; CD8 retained and CD4 lost (vice versa)
- T cell has high affinity binding; apoptosis
- T cell has low affinity binding; T cell survives
- seeds peripheral lymphoid organs
- Positive selection
2. Negative selection
Identify definition
- breakdown of mechanism responsible for self tolerance and induction of an immune response against components of the self
- specific immunological non-reactivity to an antigen
resulting from a previous exposure to the same antigen.
- AUTOIMMUNITY
- such an immune response may not always be harmful (e.g anti-idiotype antibodies)
- however, in numerous autoimmune diseases, it is well recognized that products of the immune system cause damage to the self - TOLERANCE
- The most important form of tolerance is non-reactivity to self antigens
- we normally do not mount a strong immune response against our own self antigens - called self tolerance
- autoimmune disease develops when the immune system recognizes a self antigen and mounts a strong response against it
What are the 2 main causes of autoimmune disease
- Genetic factors
- inherited risk for most autoimmune diseases can be attributed to MULTIPLE LOCI
- several diseases linked to particular MHC ALLELES (faulty negative selection) **HLA B27 - ankylosing spondylitis
- polymorphism in non-HLA genes (contribute to failure of self tolerance and/or abnormal activation of lymphocytes) - Environmental factors
- infections
- medications
- stress
- diet
- chemicals
- hormones
**Others; modification of peptides by deamination or citrullination, smoking, HLA allotypes **HLA B27, age related thymic involutes next, identical twin with autoimmune disease
Identify the hypersensitivity types (according to allergy, transplantation or autoimmunity) **Dont look - state all
- Allergy only (no transplantation or autoimmunity issues)
- Allergy - chronic urticaria
Transplant - hyperactive rejection
Autoimmunity - autoimmune hemolytic anemia - Allergy - serum sickness
Transplant - chronic rejection
Autoimmunity - SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) - Allergy - poison ivy
Transplant - acute rejection
Autoimmunity - Type 1 diabetes
- Type I
- aka immediate hypersensitivity
- rapid and occur within minutes of exposure to an antigen (involve IgE) - Type II
- initiated by binding or antibody to cell membrane or ECM (antibody mediated) - Type III
- interaction of antibodies with soluble molecules (immune complex) - Type IV
- delayed (cell-mediated)
The following MHC alleles are associated with what autoimmune diseases?
- ***HLA - B27
- HLA-DRB 1*01/04/10
- HLA-DRB1*0301/0401
- HLA-DR4
- ANKYLOSING spondylitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type 1 DM
- Pemphigus vulgaris
Identify 3 mechanisms by which microbes may promote autoimmunity
A. Self tolerance ; T cells destroyed by deletion or anergic and don’t respond to stimuli
B. Induction of costimulators on APCs - autoimmunity
C. Molecular mimicry; self reactive T cell that recognize microbial peptide which lead to activation of T cells lead to autoimmunity
- Identify thee autoimmune disease
- POSTER CHILD OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
- Smoking increases risk
- Cytokines affected (IL1, IL6, IL7 and TNF alpha)
- Identify pathophysiology
- Identify presentation (S&S)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- can occur in response to an antigenic trigger such as an infection
- genetic factors play a role (HLA-CRB1*0401)
* *20% of patients don’t have this antibody so you can’t rule out RA based on genetic testing - Pathophys
- pathologic changes start in the synovial lining w/ neovascularization and thickening of synovial membrane
- synovial proliferation - pannus formation (acts like local tumor)
- pro-inflammatory cytokines affected - Presentation
- stiff in the morning, inflammatory arthritics, rheumatoid nodules (elbows), eye disease (synovial fluid), serologic abnormalities
Identify autoimmune disease
- elevated blood sugar based on low or no insulin
- Eye disease (retinopathy), neuropathy, vasculopathy, insulin dependent
- Presentation; attack B cells in pancreases - destruction of islet cells - no clinical symptoms for a long time
TYPE 1 DM
- one or more environmental triggering events - subclinical beta cell dysfunction - clinical type 1 DM developed
(Takes a long time of insulin deficiency before you show symptoms of Type 1)
Identify the following autoimmune diseases
- Sensory symptoms in limbs, visual symptoms, motor symptoms, diplopia, gait problems, pain
Brain MRI* - Ocular symptoms, dysarthria, dysphasia, respiratory involvement
* antibodies attacked
- Multiple sclerosis
2. Myasthernia Gravis
Identify autoimmune disease
- BUTTERFLY RASH - malar rash (sparing of labia folds - mouth)
- Mainly in females (funmilola)
- Systemic disease
- AUTOANTIBODIES
- SYMPTOMS; butterfly rash, joint pain, serosal memebranes, kidneys (BAD case), CNS (not common but life threatening), lungs, heart, hematopoietic system
SLE
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Identify autoimmune diseases
- hyperstimulation of thyroid glands
- Excess metabolism; weight loss, diarrhea, anxiety, eye disease
- • fatigue, constipation, skin involvement, muscle weakness
- can have symptoms of hyperthyroidism when thyroid is stimulation and hypothyroidism when thyroid is not stimulated
• Lymphocytic infiltrates
- Graves’ disease
ptosis- graves ophthalmopathy - Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Identify 4 therapies you can use for autoimmune disease
- Steroids; Prednisone, Methylprednisolone, Dexamethasone
- Immunosuppressant; Azathioprine, Cyclophosphamide
- Antimetabolites (methotrexate, leflunomide)
- Targeted biological therapies; target cytokines to inhibit them