The Immune system • Role: protect body against pathogens • Pathogens; bacteria, bacterial toxin, viruses, parasites, and fungi.
Outline • Anatomy of the Immune system • Organization of the body’s defenses • Humoral immunity • Cell-mediated immunity • Immune responses in Health and diseases
Outline • Anatomy of the Immune system • Organization of the body’s defenses • Humoral immunity • Cell-mediated immunity • Immune responses in Health and diseases
Leukocytes - Phagocytes (phagocytosis): neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (skin) - Lymphocytes: Bs and Ts, natural killer cells - Mast cells Lymphoid tissues - primary lymphoid tissues (bone marrow and thymus) - secondary lymphoid tissues Anatomy
Outline • Anatomy of the Immune system • Organization of the body’s defenses • Humoral immunity • Cell-mediated immunity • Immune responses in Health and diseases
Non-specific defenses: no need to decipher pathogen’s identiy. Always present in the body. - Physical barriers - Inflammation - Interferons - Natural cell killers (NK cells) - Complement system Specific defenses:Based onn recognition of the pathogen’s identity Humoral immunity Cell-mediated immunity Organization of the body’s defenses
Physical barriers - skin - mucus - stream of tears or urine - Inflammation Chemical barriers pH (stomach, vagina) enzymes (stomach, tears) Interferons Complement system Non-specific defenses
Inflammation Symptoms of inflammation: • Redness • heat • Swelling • - pain
Macrophage and phagocytosis
Interferon • Protein secreted by a cell currently infected by a virus • Interferon warns the neighboring cells of the impending viral infection • The neighboring cells synthesize proteins that will block the virus from hijacking the cell DNA replication machinery Animation: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/interferon2.gif
About 30 blood proteins They become activated either by direct contact with a pathogen or by contact with a bound antibody. In an activated state, they form a complex which opens a hole in a pathogen’s cell membrane bacterial lysis Complement system also promotes inflammation Complement system
Cytotoxic T cells, lacking markers Able to recognize a wide range of pathogens without prior exposure When recognition and binding occur, the NK cells destroy the pathogen through cell lysis Natural Killer cells = NK cells
Specificity: based on shape recognition of cell surface antigens Diversity: Any shape can be recognized by a B or T-lymphocytes and trigger an immune reaction Memory: once a pathogen has activated the immune system, memory cells remain and will protect against a secondary infection Self-tolerance: the immune system does not attack itself Specific immunity
Macrophages (antigen presenting cell = APC): phagocytize pathogens and present antigens to helper-T lymphocytes Helper-T lymphocytes: secrete lymphokines and activate B and killer T lymphocytes B-lymphocytes: multiply and specialize into plasma cells secrete antibodies Killer-T lymphocytes: kill (through lysis) infected or cancerous cells Specific immunity = the players
Outline • Anatomy of the Immune system • Organization of the body’s defenses • Humoral immunity • Cell-mediated immunity • Immune responses in Health and diseases
1- Macrophages phagocytize a pathogen and present an antigen to a matching helper-T cell 2- At the same time, some pathogens contact B-cells matching the pathogen’s antigens The helper-T cells multiply, secrete lymphokines which stimulate the B-cells to multiply and specialize into plasma cells The plasma cells secretes antibodies Antibody-mediated (humoral) immunity = AMI
Figure 23.7
Structures formed by 4 proteins Two main regions: the upper region is highly variable and bind to a specific shape (the antigen) The base region is constant for all antibodies this region, when the antibody is bound to its antigen, activates the complement system What are antibodies?
Role of the antibodies
Types of antibodies • Antibody = immunoglobulin = Ig • IgG Most abundant. mostly in blood, lymph. able to cross the placenta • IgA Found in tears, milk, blood, lymph • IgM First antibody to be secreted. found in blood, lymph. unable to cross placenta • IgD Found in blood, lymph, on B cells • IgE Found on mast cells, basophils. involved in allergic reaction.
First and second exposures to a pathogen
Once a T, B or killer lymphocytes have made contact with their specific antigen, they are triggered into action but they also divide and form a large amount of identical cells, called a clone. Clonal selection
How can the DNA in the nucleus codes for each type of antibody? Since over a millions of different types are needed, how can the DNA in the nucleus code for each of them? There is clearly not enough DNA to accomplish that. During embryogenesis, several genes coding for the variable portion of the antibody (and each responsible for part of a shape) reshuffle so each combination of genes codes for a specific antibody (and shape). So a stem cell receives the capability to form one single type of antibody. Once formed, they circulate in the body. If they meet and bind to a shape (formed by a protein) present in the body, they are destroyed or deleted, so that only the stem cells responsible for antibodies aimed at foreign pathogens are left. A stem cell able to react with our own proteins and not deleted during fetal life might later trigger an autoimmune disease. Clonal deletion
Outline • Anatomy of the Immune system • Organization of the body’s defenses • Humoral immunity • Cell-mediated immunity • Immune responses in Health and diseases
Cell-mediated immunity • Similar reaction to AMI • The pathogen triggering the reaction is a virus infected cell or a cancerous cell. • Killer T lymphocytes are sensitized by contact and activated by lymphokines secreted by activated helper T lymphocytes
CMI Figure 23.11 (1 of 2)
Clinical applications • Immunization - Active and natural - Active and artificial - Passive and natural - Passive and artificial • Why are we vaccinating against some disease but not other? • Why not Ebola?
Immediate allergic reaction: due to IgE Tissue transplant and tissue rejection: due to cytotoxic T cells Clinical applications Delayed allergic reaction: due to cytotoxic T cells
Beginning of transplant rejection
