Body’s Defense Mechanisms (IMMUNITY)

BODY’S DEFENCE MECHANISM :

The body has developed defence
mechanism to control and to cope with
the constant attack of microorganism.
(immunity)
There are two major categories of
immunity.
1. Innate – Nonspecific (Natural)
2. Acquired – Specific (Adaptive)
Defense Mechanisms
Q: ‘Three Line of Defense’ against microorganisms:
 First line of defense
1. Innate – Nonspecific (Natural) immunity:
Immunity with which an individual is born is called innate
or natural immunity. Protects against many different
microorganisms.
• Mechanism of innate immunity:
i) Physical barrier: Skin, Mucous Membrane
 Second line of defense:
ii) Phagocytic cells, such as neutrophils, macrophages, and natural
killer cells.
iii) Proteins, such as complement, lysozyme, and interferon.
 3rd line of defence:
• Adaptive/ acquired (specific) immunity: Protects
• Components of innate immunity
Q: Role of Skin & Mucous Membranes in
immunity?
 Intact skin: is the first line of defense against
many organisms.
• The skin acts as a physical barrier to infection
• Fatty acids secreted by sebaceous glands have
antibacterial and antifungal activity.
• The low pH of the skin (between 3 and 5), which is
due to these fatty acids, also has an antimicrobial
effect.
 Mucous Membrane:
• A second important defense is the mucous
membrane of the respiratory tract, which is
lined with cilia and covered with mucus.
• The coordinated beating of the cilia drives
the mucus up to the nose and mouth, where
the trapped bacteria can be expelled.
• The normal flora of the skin and mucous
membranes occupy receptors, which reduce
the opportunity for pathogens to attach:
a process called colonization resistance.
• Phagocytosis (2nd line of defense)
• is the process of engulfment of solid
particulate material by the phagocytic cells
• Many microorganisms produce chemical
substances that attract phagocytes.
• Phagocytes include many types of white
blood cells (such as Neutrophils, Monocytes,
Macrophages, Mast cells, and Dendritic
cells).
 Steps of Phagocytosis?
• Chemotaxis: attraction of cells in response to
chemical stimulation.
• Adherence: attachment to a microbe.
• Ingestion: engulfing pathogen with
pseudopodia wrapping around pathogen.
• Digestion: phagosome maturation.
• Elimination:
Phagocytes eliminate
remaining pieces of microbe
via exocytosis.
COMPLEMENT SYSTEM (2nd line of defense)
Complement is a group of heat labile protein in
serum, and they help in antibody and antibody
interaction.
Complement has three major physiological
functions:
a. defending the body against bacterial infection
b. bridging natural and acquired immunity
c. disposing of immune complexes and the by
products associated with inflammation.
Complement System Pathways:
1) Classical – Activated by the presence of
antibody bound to microbes.
2) Lectin– Activated when a host serum protein
binds a sugar (mannose) in the wall of fungi and
other microbes
3) Alternative– Activated when complement
proteins bind to cell wall or surface components
of microbes
 Complement does 3 things:
• Inflammation: C3a, C4a, C5a
• Opsonization: C3b
Q

Q
2.Acquired–Specific(Adaptive) (Third line of defense)
• Immunity which is developed later in life after
microbial infection in host is called as Acquired
immunity.
• For example, If an individual is infected with chicken
pox virus, he/she become resistant to same virus in
later life.
• Acquired immunity is provided by Antibodies and
certain T-lymphocytes.
• Four features of adaptive immunity:
Specificity,
Diversity,
Memory,
Two Components of adaptive/acquired
Immunity:
1) Humoral Immunity:
• The immunity mediated by antibodies found
in the extracellular body fluids is called
humoral immunity.
• B cells are responsible for humoral immunity.
• Helper T cells aid the development of
B cells into plasma cells.
• It is plasma cells that produce and secrete
immunoglobulins, or antibodies.
• 2) Cell-mediated Immunity:
• The immunity that identifies and destroys
infected cells in the body is called cell-
mediated immunity.
• cell-mediated immunity is the activation of
phagocytes, antigen-specific cytotoxic T-
lymphocytes, and the release of various
cytokines in response to an antigen.
• T cells are responsible for cell-mediated
immunity.
• T Cells involved:(CD4-positive helper T lymphocytes
and CD8-positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes)
Q: Describe Four Types of Acquired
Immunity?
1. Active immunity:
If host itself produces antibodies, it is
called active immunity.
It is of two types; artificial active
immunity and natural active immunity.
Artificial active immunity:
Immunity provided by vaccination.
Natural active immunity:
immunity provided by natural infection.
2. Passive immunity: If host does not produce
antibodies itself but antibodies produced in
other host provides immunity, than it is known
as Passive immunity.
• Natural passive immunity: IgG antibody
produced in mother cross placenta and
protects fetus up to 6-month-old age.
• Artificial passive immunity:if preformed
antibody are injected into host for
immunity. E.g., Anti-venom, *Rabies vaccine
(*it is not a vaccine, it is preformed anti
rabies antibody)
• Antigen: An antigen is any substance
(such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses, or
allergen) which induces an immune
response in the body, especially the
production of antibodies against it.
• Antibody: Antibodies are globulin
proteins immunoglobulins that react
specifically with the antigen that
stimulated their production.
• Q: Describe Types of Antibody & their
functions?
Q
Structure of Antibody
 HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS
• are exaggerated or inappropriate immunologic
responses occurring in response to an antigen or
allergen.
• Hypersensitivity type I, II, and III is mediated by
humoral immunity.
• Hypersensitivity type IV (Delayed):
• is mediated by cell-mediated immunity.
• Cells Involved in Type IV: (CD4+ helper T lymphocytes
and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes)
• Two types:
a) Classical or tuberculin type.
Q: Types of Hypersensitivity Reactions ē examples?
 Q: Mechanism of Type-I Hypersensitivity Reaction:
• Antigen (allergen)induces IgE antibody that binds to mast cells
and basophils. When exposed to the allergen again, the allergen
cross-links the bound IgE on those cells. This causes degranulation
and release of mediators (e.g., histamine).
1.Immediate phase. (within minutes)
• Cyclic nucleotides and calcium play essential roles in release of the
mediators.
• Symptoms: Edema and erythema (“wheal and flare”) and itching
appear rapidly because these mediators (e.g., histamine) are
Preformed.
2.Late phase of IgE-mediated inflammation occurs approximately 6
hours after exposure to the antigen and is due to mediators (e.g.,
leukotrienes )
• Symtoms: These mediators cause an influx of inflammatory cells,
such as neutrophils and eosinophils, and symptoms such as erythema
and induration occur. Eosinophils play a major role in Late Phase.
• How microorganisms overcome the body’s defenses
and cause disease
• The following are some of the ways developed by
pathogens to overcome the body’s defense
mechanisms, become established in tissues, multiply,
and cause disease:
• Adherence fimbriae (Pili)
• Production of enzymes that facilitate the spread of
pathogens
• Mechanisms that interfere with phagocytosis
• Production of beta-lactamases
• Mechanisms that destroy or neutralize antibodies
• Production of exotoxin
• Hazards of vaccination:
• Local sepsis,
• fever, malaise,
• soreness at injection site,
• arthralgia after rubella vaccine,
• convulsions in pertussis vaccine and
• allergic reaction may occur as untoward side
effect after vaccination.
Thank You