SEMINAR ON-

BASIC
PRINCIPLES OF
IMMUNOLOGY
PRESENTED BY- DR. SHINY
(PG 1ST YEAR IHBTAIMSR)

MODERATOR- DR. R. N. MAHARISHI

12/01/2023
AN OVERVIEW TO THE SEMINAR-
1- BASIC DEFINITIONS
2- HISTORY OF IMMUNOLOGY
3. ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY & PATHOLOGY OF IMMUNOLOGY
4- TYPES OF IMMUNITY (including COMPLEMENT SYSTEM)
5- CELLS AND TISSUES OF IMMUNE SYSTEM
6-ANTIGENS AND ANTIBODIES
7- IMMUNOGLOBULINS
8- MHC AND CYTOKINES
1. BASIC DEFINITIONS-

• IMMUNITY- mechanism of defence against infectious

pathogens
• IMMUNOLOGY- the science of components and
concepts of immunity
• IMMUNE SYSTEM- comprises of special cells,
proteins, tissues and organs involved in immune
response
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF IMMUNOLOGY

 Immunology works on series

of events which enable humans
to respond to foreign antigens
and tolerate his own antigens.
Works through specificity,
diversity and memory
 2. HISTORY OF IMMUNOLOGY

• Antigens were discovered in 1798

• Pathogens were discovered by Robert Koch in 1882
• Antibodies- 1888

• Finally in 1950s, it was discovered that

the cells that produce antibody and
give rise to immunity are lymphocytes.
It led to explosion in active research on
antibody and cell mediated immunity since then.
3.1. ANATOMY OF IMMUNOLOGY-
The major site of immune reactivity

LYMPHOID TISSUES

PRIMARY SECONDARY

-SPLEEN
-BONE MARROW
-MULTIPLE LYMPH
-THYMUS
NODES
3.2- THE PHYSIOLOGY OF IMMUNOLOGY

 TO RESIST INFECTIONS
 TO MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS
 TO INDUCE HYPERSENSTIVITY DURING
ALLERGIES, AUTOIMMUNITY AND
TRANSPLANTATION REJECTION
 3.3- PATHOLOGY OF IMMUNOLOGY

• IMMUNE CONSTITUENTS ARE FORMED IN- YOLK

SAC, FOLLOWED BY LIVER AND BONE MARROW
BY LYMPHO- HAEMOPOITIC SYSTEM
• LYMPHOCYTES, MONOCYTES AND
GRANULOCYTES ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN
IMMUNE SYSTEM WHILE ERYTHROCYTES AND
PLATELETS HAVE INDIRECT INVOLVEMENT.
 4. TYPES OF IMMUNITY

INNATE ADAPTIVE
COMPONENTS PRESENT HAS SPECIFICITY,
SINCE BIRTH, RECOGNITION, MEMORY AND
HENCE, FIRST LINE OF SPECIFIC REACTIVITY, SECOND
DEFENCE LINE OF DEFENCE

- FURTHER DIVIDED INTO

- NON SPECIFIC
1. CELLULAR IMMUNITY- T
CELL MEDIATED
2. HUMORAL IMMUNITY- B CELL
MEDIATED
4.1- INNATE
IMMUNITY

COMPONENTS OF INNATE IMMUNITY

MOLECULAR & CELLULAR ELEMENTS
OF INNATE IMMUNITY
COMPONENTS OF INNATE IMMUNITY

EXTERNAL INTERNAL
COMPONENTS COMPONENTS
CONSISTS OF CONSISTS OF
PHYSICAL AND INTERFERONS,
CHEMICAL BARRIERS COMPLEMENT
TO PATHOGENS SUCH SYSTEM AND
AS SKIN, LYSOZYME, INFLAMMATION
FATTY ACIDS, MUCUS
ETC
 EXTERNAL COMPONENTS OF INNATE
IMMUNITY
1.EPITHELIA OF SKIN-

• mechanical barrier
• the keratinized layer of skin is composed of
dead cells mingled with secretory products
that constantly shed and remove infectious
agents
• low pH prevents microbial colonization
Contd..
2. MUCOSAL LAYER OF TRACTS-

• traps and eliminates pathogens because mucins

are acidic carbohydrates
• also contains lysozyme which
digests and kills bacteria

3. OTHER PHYSIOLOGICAL BARRIERS-

• Body temperature- 37 degrees C unsuitable for growth

• Oxygen tension between lungs- inhibits bacterial growth
 INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF INNATE IMMUNITY-
(MOLECULAR ELEMENTS)
1.INTERFERONS
• Proteins, of 2 types- 1 and 2
• Type 1 are a part of innate immunity
• Include α and β proteins-
produced by cells infected by virus
α is secreted by macrophages
β is secreted by fibroblasts
• Work by inducing production of anti viral proteins
2. COMPLEMENT SYSTEM-

It is the name given to at least 25 plasma

and other body fluid proteins capable
of killing bacteria
Circulate as inactive forms
 a) CLASSICAL PATHWAY-
• Initiated by antigen-antibody reaction

• Order of activation- C1-C4-C2-C3-C5-

C6-C7-C8-C9.

• C5B joins with C6,7,8,9 it form

membrane attack complex (MAC)
which causes cell lysis by creating
pores in red cell membrane
b. ALTERNATE PATHWAY-
• Activated directly by microbial surface molecules
like endotoxins without any antigen antibody reaction
• Requires properdin ( a serum protein ), factors B and D
and magnesium ions for activation
Factor B is cleaved by factor D to form C3bBb which enters
Loop of classical pathway through C3b
LECTIN PATHWAY-

• Mannose binding lectin in plasma

directly binds to target surface which is
mannose or other sugars on microbial surface.
• The mannose complex directly activates
the classical pathway
MBL- mannose binding lectin
MASP- mannose associated
serine protease
3. INFLAMMATION AND GRANULOMAS

• Complex but considered protective in tissue injury

because swelling of traumatized cells release their serum
proteins which further activate complement proteins

• Also supplement phagocytic activity of neutrophils

CELLULAR ELEMENTS OF INNATE IMMUNITY

• CELLS-
1. MONOCYTES AND NEUTROPHILS- present in all
tissues, phagocytose (invade) and destroy microbes
2. DENDRITIC CELLS- they capture protein antigens
and display peptides for recognition by T lymphocytes,
so, have antigen presenting function
3. NATURAL KILLER CELLS- directly kill tumor cells
4. MAST CELLS- produce mediators of inflammation
CELLULAR RECEPTORS OF INNATE IMMUNITY-

1. TOLL LIKE RECEPTORS-

• Total 10 TLRs in mammals, each recognize different
set of microbial molecules
• Present in plasma membrane and endosomal vesicles
• Stimulate synthesis and secretion of cytokines, and type 1 interferons
2. NOD- LIKE RECEPTORS-
• Activate caspase 1 enzyme which cleaves precursor of IL-1 to create its
active form
REACTIONS OF INNATE IMMUNITY

1. INFLAMMATION BY RELEASE OF CYTOKINES

2. ANTIVIRAL DEFENSE BY RELEASE OF TYPE 1
INTERLEUKINS
3. ACTIVATION OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE
RESPONSE
4.2 ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY

-CELLULAR- T CELLS
-HUMORAL- B CELLS
ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY

• SECOND LINE OF DEFENCE

• HAS CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR ELEMENTS
• RECOGNISES MILLIONS OF MICROBIAL ANTIGENS
• DIVIDED INTO HUMORAL ANF CELLULAR IMMUNITY
• HUMORAL- B CELL MEDIATED- PROTECTS AGAINST
EXTRACELLULAR MICROBES
• CELLULAR- T CELL MEDIATED- PROTECTS AGAINST
INTRACELLULAR MICROBES
 CELLS OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY

1. T LYMPHOCYTES- CELL MEDIATED IMMUNITY

• T HELPER CELLS- stimulate B cells to make antibodies and phagocytose
• CYTOTOXIC T CELLS- kill infected cells
• REGULATORY T CELLS- limit immune response and protect self antigens
• Each T cell recognizes a specific T cell antigen via
antigen specific T cell receptor
• Eg- the alpha-beta TCR recognizes peptides presented by MHC complex
 2. B LYMPHOCYTES- HUMORAL IMMUNITY

• The only cells in the body capable of producing antibodies

• The antigen binding component of B cell
receptor complex is formed by membrane bound
antibodies of IgM and IgD isotypes which are
present of surface of all mature B cells
• After stimulation by antigens, B cells are converted
into plasma cells-which are protein factories for antibodies
(1 Plasma cell=thousands of antibody molecules)
STRUCTURE OF B CELL RECEPTOR COMPLEX
MOLECULAR ELEMENTS OF ADAPTIVE
IMMUNITY

• ANTIGEN- an immunogen capable of stimulating

both B and T cells to generate an anti substance
required to perform an immune response.
• HAPTEN- chemical substance which is unable to
induce an immune response but able to react in
vitro with preformed antibodies
5. CELLS OF IMMUNE SYSTEM

1. MACROPHAGE-MONOCYTE SYSTEM
• Migrate to site of inflammation, pick up and ingest foreign
material and then present it to other B and T cells through
MHC Class II molecules (APCs)
2. B-T CELL SYSTEM
• Form antibodies and kill infected cells
• Keep memory and are highly antigen specific
 6. ANTIGENS AND ANTIBODIES
ANTIGENS ANTIBODIES

1. EXOGENOUS ANTIGEN- foreign antigen that -Group of serum proteins,

is engulfed by an APC, processed into fragments designated as
and then presented with the help of MHC Class 1 immunoglobulins-
by macrophage and MHC class 2 by B cells and produced by antigenic
both 1 and 2 by dendritic cells. It activates T stimulation
helper cells to release cytokines -They are produced by
plasma cells which in turn
2. ENDOGENOUS ANTIGEN- recognized by are derived from B
cytotoxic T cells and destroyed directly lymphocytes
MONOCLONAL- same
3. BLOOD GROUP ANTIGENS- apx 1 million epitope of same antigen
ABO and 25000 Rh antigen sites on red cells POLYCLONAL- different
epitopes of same antigen
 7. IMMUNOGLOBULINS
• 5 classes of Immunoglobulins

• BASIC STRUCTURE-
2 types of chains- 2 identical heavy and
2 identical light chains
4 chains held together by disulfide and
non covalent bonds in Y configuration
Light chains- Kappa and lambda
But both types are never present together
Heavy chains- different for each class
(alpha, gamma, mu, delta, epsilon)
 IgG ANTIBODIES- (SECONDARY IMMUNE RESPONSE)
• 73 percent of total, Monomers
• Can readily cross placenta thus causing
hemolytic disease of Newborn
• Only cause coating of RBCs, not agglutination,
• hence called incomplete antibodies
• Lifespan- 60 to 70 days

IgM ANTIBODIES- (PRIMARY IMMUNE RESPONSE)

Exist as pentamers and cause hemolysis of red cells
Life span of 10 days
8.1. THE PEPTIDE DISPLAY SYSTEM- MHC

(MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILTY COMPLEX)

• Function of MHC molecules is to display peptide

fragments of protein antigens for recognition by antigen
specific T cells,
• In humans, MHCs are called HLA (human leukocyte
antigens)
• Have 2 major classes- I and II
8.2 CYTOKINES- MESSENGER MOLECULES OF
IMMUNE SYSTEM

IN INNATE-
• Induce inflammation and inhibit viral replication
• Include TNF, IL-1,2 and interferons
IN ADAPTIVE-
• Promote lymphocyte proliferation to activate effector cells
• Include IL- 2, 4, 5, 17 and INF- gamma
REFERENCES

• Robbins- Textbook of Pathology Chapter 6

• Kawathalkar- Essentials of hematology Chapter 1
• Makroo- Principles of Transfusion Medicine Chapter 3
• Anil Dasgupta- Immunology Chapter 1,2,3
THANKYOU