The Immune Responses (M) Flashcards
(188 cards)
What is adaptive system and what is its purpose?
It is developed in a host primarily to protect the host from harmful effects of pathogens and other foreign substances
What are the 2 types of adaptive response?
1) Antibody-mediated (humoral)
2) Cell-mediated (cellular)
What is humoral adaptive response (actions brought by this response are to what)?
It acts mainly against extracellular pathogens, or those pathogen that infects outside a host cell
What is cellular adaptive response (action of this response is to what)?
It acts against intracellular pathogens, or those pathogens that infect host cells
What are the 2 important components in humoral immunity?
1) Antibodies
2) Complement
* hence, humoral immunity is based on the action of these components
What type of bacteria does humoral immunity react to?
1) Extracellular bacteria
2) Bacteria whose virulence is due to polysaccharide capsules
What are the examples of extracellular bacteria (being acted upon by humoral immunity)?
1) Corynebacterium diphtheriae
2) Clostridium tetani
What are the examples of bacteria having polysaccharide capsules (being acted upon by humoral immunity)?
1) Haemophilus influenzae
2) Neisseria meningitidis
3) Streptococcus pneumoniae
Does humoral immunity also acts to viruses?
Yes
Humoral immunity acts to viruses that have the capability to infect what organs / parts of the human body?
Viruses that can infect through:
1) Respiratory tract
2) Intestinal tract
Humoral immunity also participates in the pathogenesis of what?
Hypersensitivity reactions and certain autoimmune diseases
What is the main feature of humoral immune responses?
Antibody production
What are the different phases in the process of production of Abs?
1) Lag phase
2) Log phase
3) Plateau
4) Decline phase
What is lag phase (and its characteristics)?
1) It is the immediate phase following exposure to Ag
2) During this phase, no Abs are detected in the circulation
What is log phase (and its characteristics)?
1) It is the phase next to lag phase
2) It is characterized by a steady rise in Ab titers in the circulation
What is plateau (and its characteristics)?
It is a phase of equilibrium bet Ab synthesis and catabolism
What is decline phase (and its characteristics)?
It is characterized by an increase in the catabolism of Abs compared to the production of Abs, leading to a fall in Ab titer in the circulation
What are the 2 types of humoral response?
1) Primary response
2) Secondary response
What are the characteristics of primary response (humoral response)?
1) Ab is detectable after a longer lag period than the secondary response
2) Lag period is typically 7 - 10 days or longer depending on the nature of Ag, the dose of Ag, and the route of administration (oral or parenteral)
3) Slow, sluggish, and short-lived Abs
4) Low Ab titer
5) IgM is the 1st Ab to be formed, followed by IgG, IgA, or both
6) IgM lvls tend to decline sooner as compared to IgG lvls
Do primary response (in humoral response) have a longer or shorter lag period?
Longer
If primary response (in humoral response) has a longer lag period (than secondary response of humoral immunity), how long is the lag period? And if primary response (in humoral response) has a shorter lag period (than secondary response of humoral immunity), how short is the lag period?
The lag period of primary response (of humoral immunity) is longer compared to the lag period of secondary response (of humoral immunity), the lag period is typically 7 - 10 days or longer
What is the basis of duration (for Ags) of lag phase (in primary response of humoral response)?
Depending on the:
1) Nature of Ag
2) The dose of Ag
3) The route of administration
What are the different methods of route of administration of Ag (where the period of lag phase is dependent on; primary response of humoral immunity)?
1) Oral
2) Parenteral
What Ig is 1st to be formed in the lag phase of primary response (in humoral immunity)?
IgM