Transcript Document
Unit 8 Seminar
Immunology
The human immune system
Made up of 2 branches that work together:
1. Innate (nonspecific) immune system
First and second line of defense
2. Acquired (specific) immune system
B and T cells
The two branches work together to fight infectious agents
Chemically controlled
innate (nonspecific)
immunity
First and second line of defense
Innate immunity- first line of defense
• Intact skin
• Mucous membranes
• Normal microbiota
Innate immunity- second line of
defense
• (phagocytic) white blood cells
• Inflammation
• Fever
• Complement
White Blood Cells (leukocytes)
•
•
•
•
•
Neutrophils: Phagocytic
Basophils: Produce histamine
Eosinophils: Toxic to parasites, some phagocytosis
Dendritic cells: Initiate adaptive immune response, phagocytic
Monocytes: Phagocytic as mature macrophages
– Fixed macrophages in lungs, liver, bronchi
– Wandering macrophages roam tissues
• Lymphocytes: Involved in specific immunity. B and T cells.
Phagocytosis of E.coli
pseudopods
of
macrophage
entrap E.coli
bacteria
bacteria
brought into
macrophage
for
destruction
inflammation
fever
• Increases metabolic processes in the human
body
• Enhances inflammation, helps move WBCs
• Some infectious agents induce fever
The Complement System
• Serum proteins
activated in a
cascade
• Activated via one of
three pathways
• Activated
Complement
proteins trigger 3
primary immune
responses
2.
1.
3.
Figure 16.10
•
The complement system is an
important part of the innate
immune system that has farreaching effects on the body’s
ability to fight off infection.
Many pathogens have the
ability to affect or disable
individual proteins within the
Complement system. In your
opinion, which Complement
protein (C5a? C1?) would be
most devastating to the host
immune system if it were to be
inactivated by a particular
pathogen? Why?
Acquired (specific)
immunity
B cells and T cells
B cell immunity (humoral
immunity)
• Bone marrow gives
rise to B cells
• Some B cells (plasma
cells) produce
antibodies
• Other B cells become
long-lived memory
cells
T Cell immunity (cellular
immunity)
• T cells primarily respond to intracellular Ags
• Differentiate in the thymus, then migrate to
lymphoid tissue
• Helper T Cells (CD4, TH)
– TH1
– TH2
Activate cytotoxic T cells
Activate B cells to produce antibodies
• Cytotoxic T Cells (CD8, TC)
– Destroy target cells with perforin
Other immune components
• Cytokines
• Chemokines
• Other chemical messengers
• As you have learned in this unit, the immune
system does an exceptional job in clearing
infections from the host. However, on occasion
the immune system can actually make an illness
worse by overreacting to a potential pathogen.
One example is a phenomenon called “cytokine
storm”. This occurrence takes place when the
body is infected by specific pathogens. Some
examples include the influenza virus that caused
the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic and more
recently the SARS epidemic in 2003. What
occurs during “cytokine storm” and how does it
Cytokine storm & Avian Flu
• “Acute respiratory viral infection (especially
from the H5N1 subtype influenza virus) results
in a cytokine storm effecting the lungs, and
subsequent damage to alveoli and lung tissue
results in the lethality seen in more severe flu
viral infections, especially those fatalities
among young healthy adults”
http://www.cytokinestorm.com/ accessed July 21, 2011
• Human society has evolved significantly over the
past few decades. Populations of humans used
to inhabit wide-open spaces and rarely had
contact with large crowds of people. However,
modern society requires people to live in very
tight quarters and come into contact with
possibly hundreds or thousands of people in a
single day. Consider cities like New York City and
Tokyo, Japan. Occupants in these cities are
packed in tightly into subway systems and
overcrowded conditions. When people in Japan
are ill, they wear face masks to protect others,
while in New York City this is not done. What
are some other ways that people in these cities
Unit 8 Assignment
Unit 8 assignment: Microbial evasion of host immune defenses
Microbiology encompasses many aspects of pathogens and human
reactions to infections. This project will allow you to trace pathogens
through the infection cycle and human response to the infection.
Project requirements: Refer to Table 1.1 and answer the following
questions for EACH organism listed above. Word requirements are
outlined for each question - this represents a minimum number of
words required. For each question answer in full and complete
sentences, and provide both examples and scientific evidence to
support your answer. Be sure to include a well-developed introduction
and conclusion in your paper.
You may use outside sources, but the reading material for Units 7 and 8
should provide the majority of information you will need to complete
the assignment. Be sure to include all references in APA format.
Table 1.1
Organism
Strategy to avoid host
immune system
Common disease
Trypanosoma cruzi
Changes surface antigens
to avoid immune system
detection
American trypanosomiasis
Human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)
Virus infects and hides in
macrophages and CD4 Tcells.
Acquired
immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS)
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Produce M proteins to
inhibit phagocytes from
attaching
Pneumonia
Questions:
1. Give a brief overview of the disease including signs and symptoms. Who is typically
affected by this infection?(Children? Immunocompromised patients?)? What is the
pathogens’ portal of entry and exit? (100 word minimum)
2. How would the innate immune system react to this pathogen? Which components
would react? (75 word minimum)
3. Would this pathogen primarily stimulate cell-mediated immunity or antibodymediated immunity (T cells or B cells?) Why? (75 word minimum)
4. All of the organisms listed above have the ability to evade the host immune system,
at least temporarily. Review Table 1.1 for the pathogens’ strategies used to avoid
the host’s immune system. Why is this particular strategy helpful to the pathogen?
How would this impact the pathogens’ ability to cause infection? How would the
immune system compensate? (200 word minimum)
To access an archived seminar consult
the Flex Seminar guide in Doc Sharingstep by step instructions provided
Questions??
References
• Tortora, G., Funke, B., & Case, C. (2007).
Microbiology: An Introduction (8th ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Pearson.