Immunology

The Basics Part I

The Players: 2 Types of
Immunity

Innate

Adaptive

Immunity
Non-immune defense
mechanisms
Non-immune (Innate) defense
mechanisms

• Skin: Full of bacteria BUT:

• Dry.
• Indigestible keratin.
• Acidic pH.
• Sclera:
• Tears.
Non-immune defense
mechanisms

• Respiratory tract:
• Inhaled microorganisms trapped by
mucosa.
• Upward sweep by the bronchi.
• Alveolar macrophages.
• Alcohol and smoking: More prone to
Pneumonia.
Non-immune defense
mechanisms

• GI tract:
• Mucosa.
• Gastric acid and bile detergents.
• Pancreatic enzymes.
• Epithelial cells are shed daily.
• Normal flora.
Non-immune defense
mechanisms

• GU tract:
• Urine is sterile.
• Continuous flow.
• Phagocytosis:
• Macrophages.
• NK cells.
• Lysozymes.
• Complement system.
Adaptive immunity (The Immune
System)

The immune system differs from

innate defenses in a key way:
the immune system is
programmable to defend against
and attack a specific target;
innate defenses are not.
Adaptive Immunity

• Antigenic specificity allows the immune

system to distinguish the subtle differences in
antigens.
• It is not independent of the innate immunity.
• Phagocytosis is crucial.
• Cooperation: Lymphocytes and APCs.
What is an Antigen?

Any substance that can be recognized by:

• The immunoglobulin receptor of B-cells
or
• The T-cell receptor when complexed with
MHC.
B-Lymphocytes

• Created and mature in the bone marrow.

• When they leave the BM, they express a
unique antigen-binding receptor on the
membrane.
• This receptor is a membrane bound antibody.
Antigen and S-Ig meet.

Naïve B cell meets antigen

Rapid cell division

Progeny differentiate into:

Effector B cells Memory B Cells Plasma Cells

The Progeny

• Memory B-Calles have a longer life span than

naïve cells.
• They express the same membrane bound
antibody as their parent B cell.
• Plasma cells have no membrane bound
antibodies.
• They secrete the antibodies (>2000/s).
• Life span of only few days.
What are Antibodies?
Antibodies

• Classification based on
the heavy chain:
• M,G,E,A,D
• Can be passed:
• Placenta.
• IVIg.
IgG

• Most abundant class in Serum

which constitutes 80% of the
total serum immunoglobulin.
• There are four different classes
numbered according to their
abundance in the serum.
• IgG 1 , IgG 3, IgG 4 readily
crossed the placenta and
protect the developing fetus.
• IgG 3 is the most effective
complement activator while IgG
4 is not able to activate
complement at all.
IgM

• IgM accounts for 5% to 10% of the

total serum immunoglobulin .
• Monomeric IgM is expressed as
membrane-bound antibody on B
cells.
• IgM is secreted by plasma cells as a
pentamer in which five monomer
units are held together by disulfide
bonds that link carboxyl terminal
heavy chain domains.
IgM

• IgM is the first immunoglobulin class

produced in a primary response to
an antigen and it is also the first
immunoglobulin to be synthesized
by the neonate.
• Although it has 10 binding sites
sometimes it can only bind 5 or
fewer molecules of larger antigens.
IgA

• IgA constitutes only 10 to 15% of the

total immunoglobulin in serum .
• It is the predominant
immunoglobulin class in external
secretions such as breast milk,
saliva, tears, and mucus of the
bronchial and digestive tract .
• It exists as a monomer but
polymeric forms are sometimes seen
all containing a J-chain.
IgA

• Secretory IgA consists of a dimer or

tetramer a J chain polypeptide and
a polypeptide chain called secretary
component.
• The J-chain polypeptide in IgA is
identical to that found in
pentameric IgM and serves a similar
function in facilitating the
polymerization of both serum IgA
and secretory IGA.
IgE

• The concentration of IgE in serum is

extremely low and it was only
identified because of its biological
activity.
• IgE antibodies are responsible for the
immediate hypersensitivity
reactions.
• IgE binds to Fc receptors on the
membranes of basophils and tissue
mast cells.
IgD

• IgD together with my IgM is the major

membrane bound immunoglobulin
expressed by mature B cells, and its
role in the Physiology of B cells is
under investigation.
• In B cells, the function of IgD is to
signal the B cells to be activated.
Antibody Production
We will shift to MHC and T -Cells
Then we go back to B cells and antibodies… You’ll see why.
Major Histocompatibility
Complex: MHC

• It is a large genetic complex with multiple

loci.
• The MHC loci include two major classes of
membrane bound glycoproteins class I and
class II MHC molecules.
• MHC molecules function as antigen
recognition molecules, but they do not possess
define specificity for antigen characteristics of
antibodies.
Major Histocompatibility
Complex: MHC

• In both class I and class II MHC molecules the

distal regions of different alleles display wide
variation in their amino acid sequences.
• These variable regions formic left within which
the antigenic peptide sits and is presented to
T lymphocytes.
MHC I and II
The Function Of MHC Complex

• In order for a foreign protein antigen to be

recognized by T cell, it must be degraded into
small antigenic peptides that form complexes
with class I or class II MHC molecules.
• The route that the antigen takes to enter the
cell will determine which class of MHC
molecule it appears on.
I or II?