Innate Immunity - week 2 Flashcards
(199 cards)
What are the main functions of the immune system?
Protects against infectious agents.
Detects and kills cancer cells.
Has the ability to distinguish, neutralise and destroy the non-self toxins or foreign bodies.
What are the issues that defence against foreign proteins can cause?
It may fight against the workings of gene therapies and transplants.
Outline the 4 main steps after infection
- Pathogens where to the epithelium
- Local infection, penetration of epithelium
- Local infection of tissues
- Adaptive immunity
What barriers are present against a pathogen adhering to the epithelium of a blood vessel ?
Normal skin flora, local chemical factors such as the natural pH of the skin and the oils being produced etc.
Phagocytes - especially in the lungs.
What happens to to prevent penetration of pathogens into the blood vessels?
Wound healing.
Induced antimicrobial proteins and peptides.
Complement system.
Phagocytes.
Macrophages and dendritic cells also often engulf and remove pathogens.
What is present to prevent local infections of the tissues?
Complement system.
Cytokines.
Chemokine.
Activation of macrophages.
Dendritic cells migrate to lymph nodes to initiate adaptive immunity.
Blood clotting to prevent spread of infection.
How do dendritic cells initiate adaptive immunity?
They migrate to the lymph nodes.
What is present as part of the adaptive immune system?
Infection cleared by specific antibodies.
T-cell dependent macrophages are activated.
Cytotoxic T-cells produced.
How quickly can the non-specific immune system destroy pathogens?
Very quickly
How effectively can the non-specific immune system destroy pathogens and why ?
Not very effective because it just destroys everything. Not specific.
Name some of the physical and chemical barriers that are part of the non-specific immunity
- Keratinisation in the skin.
- Mucus formation on the mucosal epithelium and cilia clearance in the respiratory tract.
- Production of various antimicrobial factors such as lysozyme, lactic and fatty acids.
- Microbial antagonism. by mutualistic and commensal microorganisms.
- Cytotoxicity by complement
- Phagocytosis and Netosis
What are mutualistic pathogens?
Microorganisms that benefit the host and the host benefits them.
What are commensal bacteria?
Organisms that use food supplied by the host.
How does cytotoxicity by complement act as a chemical barrier in the non-specific immune system ?
Kills any cells that may have got past other features of the innate immune system or any harmful cells which may have entered the blood stream.
What protein can be used as a good measure of inflammation?
C-reactive protein
What is usually the first antibody produced in a non-specific immune response?
IgM
Are memory cells part of the innate immune system?
No
What is the response to an infectious agent if there is a normal level of antigen present?
Protective immunity
What is the response to an infectious agent if there is a deficient level of antigen present?
Recurrent infection
What is the response to an innocuous substance if there is a normal level of antigen present?
Allergy
What is the response to an innocuous substance if there is a normal level of antigen present?
No response
What is the response to a grafted organ if there is a normal level of antigen present?
Rejection
What is the response to a grafted organ if there is a deficient level of antigen present?
Acceptance
What is the response to a self organ if there is a normal level of antigen present?
Autoimmunity