Lecture 11- Immunity in the Fetus and Neonate Flashcards
(81 cards)
Fetuses and newborn animals have _____ of disease problems
lots
What are the 5 characteristics of the fetal/newborn immune system?
- no memory
- Confronted with many antigens
- All responses are primary
- have genes to generate B and T cells but yet to know which to use
What 4 reasons explain why the fetal/newborn immune system does not work very well at first?
- Have to grow fast
- Have to be able to run away from dangers
- Cannot put their efforts only on the immune system
- Divert protein synthesis on many things
When does the development of the prenatal immune system begin?
Early in gestation in all mammals.
Fetal growth is accompanied by _______.
Development of specialized cells.
What is the relationship between shorter gestation and immune system development?
Shorter gestation = less developed immune system at birth.
Describe the development of the immune system at each trimester.
1st: little function, just developing
2nd: developing self tolerance
3rd: immune system has everything functional but not yet effective
What is the outcome of infection of the fetus during trimester 1 or 2?
Most likely death.
What diseases can fetuses become immunocompetent to while in utero?
Ab to bovine viral diarrhea virus infection by bovine fetuses.
What are the components of the development of the prenatal immune system?
- Presence of primordial thymus
- Differentiation of specific CD lines during gestation
- Development and differentiation of other WBC population during gestation
When does the presence of the primordial thymus occur in fetal lambs and calves?
27-30 days into gestation.
What can a persistently infected fetus result in?
Immunologic tolerance.
What are the 3 results of intrauterine infection?
- Normal fetus
- Death of fetus
- Persistently infected fetus
How do fetuses become infected?
Transplacental infection.
What does the outcome of a fetal infection depend on?
- Virulence and type of organism
- Dose of organism
- Age of fetus
What are the possible outcomes of a fetal infection?
- Death: abortion or stillborn
- Malformation, congenital abnormalities
- Successful immune response
What is seen in the calf with BVDD?
Emaciated persistently infected calf.
Are normal animal fetuses and neonates immunocompetent?
Yes.
What is susceptibility to an infection in normal fetuses/neonates due to?
Unprimed immune system.
Describe the components of the slowly developing immune system of mammals.
- Less complement at birth than adults
- CD4, CD8, and CTR gamma-delta less than peak level
When does the immune system mature in mammals?
When the animal approaches sexual maturity (5-6 months).
What compensates for the impaired PMN phagocytosis in neonate cattle?
Very high leukocytes and PMNs and very active monocytes with high bacteria uptake.
Describe a neonate’s response to an antigen.
Slow, weak, and easily overcome.
What are the components of passive transfer of immunity in neonates?
- Antibody
- Cells
- Cytokines