Principles of Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

What does natural passive immunity involve?

A

Placental transfer of IgG
Colostral transfer of IgA - yellowish liquid secreted by the mammary gland

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2
Q

What is human normal immunoglobulin?

A

A preparation of the proteins from the plasma contains anitbodies of normal adult levels from several different donors.

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3
Q

What is specific immunoglobulin?

A

A preparation from the human plasma that is selected for its particularly high immunoglobulin count against a specific pathogen.

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4
Q

What can immunoglobulins be used for?

A

Post - exposure prophylaxis

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5
Q

Give an example of Human Normal Immunoglobulin

A

Hepatits A, Measles, Rubella

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6
Q

Give an example of a human specific immuhnoglobulin

A

Hep B
Rabies
Tetanus

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7
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of passive immunity?

A

Advantages - Immediate protection

Disadvantages - Short term effect - no immunological memory

Serum Sickness - body recognises antibody as foreign - anaphylaxis

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8
Q

What is natural and artificial active immunisation?

A

Natural - exposure / infection

Artificial - Vaccination

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9
Q

What immunoglobulin is responsible for the primary response to infection?

A

IgM next is IgG

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10
Q

What are common diseases we vaccinate against?

A

Measles, mumps and rubella

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11
Q

Define contraindications

A

Procedure harmful to the person

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12
Q

What are the contraindications of vaccination?

A

Febrile illness - displaying symptoms of fever
Pregnancy - cannot be given live attenuated viruses

Allergy
Immunocompromised

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13
Q

How is attenuation of a live virus achieved?

A

Repeat passage in cell culture or a non-human host.

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14
Q

Why do attenuated viruses offer lifelong immunity?

A

They elicit a strong cellular and antibody response

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15
Q

What are the downsides to live attenuated viruses?

A

Remote possibility that the attenuated form can revert to a virulent form and cause disease

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16
Q

Who cannot be given attenuated viruses?

A

People who have a damaged or weak immune system

17
Q

Which microorganism allows easy/difficult formation of an attenuated vaccine?

A

Easy for viruses

Difficult for bacteria

18
Q

How are inactivated vaccines created?

A

Killing the disease causing microbe with chemicals (formaldehyde), heat or radiation

They are killed organisms, inactivated microbial exotoxin or purified fractions of the micro-organisms

19
Q

What is the advantage/disadvantage of inactivated vaccines?

A

More stable and safer than live vaccines

Stimulate weaker immune response

Adjuvant often required

20
Q

Define adjuvant

A

A substance that enhances the body’s immune response to an antigen

21
Q

What does an acellular vaccine consist of?

A

Only the antigenic part of the organism (flagella, capsule or part of the protein cell wall)

22
Q

Advantages and disadvantages of acellular vaccines?

A

Advantages - cannot cause disease - safe for immunocompromised

Disadvantages - Don’t induce the strongest immune response

23
Q

When are toxoid vaccines used?

A

When a bacterial toxin is the main cause of the illness

24
Q

How are the bacterial toxins inactivated?

A

They are treated with formalin

25
Q

What is the immune response to a toxoid?

A

Learns how to fight off the natural toxin

Antibodies produced that lock onto and block the toxin

26
Q

How does the BCG vaccine protect against mycobacterium tuberculosis?

A

It uses an attenuated strain of mycobacterium bovis - similar to virulent organism but does not cause serious disease

27
Q

What do subunit vaccines contain?

A

Antigens that best stimulate the immune system - use epitopes

28
Q

What type of immune response do you get from subunit vaccines?

A

Strong immune response

29
Q

How do conjugate vaccines work?

A

Link antigens or toxoids from the microbe to the polysaccharides - enabling the immature immune system to react to polysaccharide coatings

Young children can’t respond to antigens disguised by polysaccharide coatings

30
Q

What are DNA vaccines?

A

DNA sequence coding for antigen is incorporated into some body cells, causes a large immune response

31
Q

Give an example of an adjuvant

A

Aluminium salts, causes a mild inflammatory response

32
Q

What is meant by heard immunity

A

Those who are vaccinated are less likely to be the ones spreading an infection, reduces risk of unvaccinated individuals being exposed to infection

Individuals who cannot get vaccinated will benefit