Immunology

Lecture 01
Introduction & Components of Immune System
Dr. Rabiul Haque
Lecturer, Department of Pathology,
Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College, Dhaka
Learning Objectives
• What is Immunity?
• What are the types of Immunity?
• Concept of Innate & Adaptive Immunity
• Concept of Active & Passive Immunity
• Concept of Passive-active immunity
• Components of Innate Immunity
• Components of Adaptive Immunity
• Commonly Used Terms In Immunology
• Organs of Immune System
Introduction
 The word "immune" is derived from the latin word
immunis which means exempt or protected from a
liability.
 In medical science, the term refers to being protected
from infectious pathogens.
Introduction
Immunity:
 It can be defined as resistance to disease, specifically
to infectious disease.
 It is the protection from infectious pathogens.
Immune System:
 It is composed of collection of cells, tissues and
molecules that mediate resistance to infections.
Immune Response:
 The coordinated reaction of the cells and molecules of
immune system to infectious microbes comprises an
immune response.
Introduction
Immunology:
 It is the study of immune system, including its
responses to microbes and damaged tissues and
its role in disease.
 Ref: Basic Immunology - Functions & Disorders of
Immune System 5th Edition
Classification
• Innate Immunity
• Humoral Immunity
• Cell-mediated (or Cellular) Immunity
• Adaptive Immunity
• Humoral Immunity
• Cell-mediated (or Cellular) Immunity
Innate Immunity
• It refers to mechanisms that are ready to react to
infection even before they occur.
• Also called natural or native immunity.
• Nonspecific.
• Acts within minutes.
• It does not improve after exposure.
• It has no memory.
Adaptive Immunity
• It refers to mechanisms that are stimulated by microbes
and that are capable of recognizing microbial and non-
microbial substances.
• Also called acquired or specific immunity.
• Highly specific.
• It requires several days before becoming effective.
• It improves after exposure.
• It has memory.
Main Components of Innate & Adaptive Immunity

Humoral Immunity Cell-mediated

Immunity
Innate Immunity Complement & Macrophages &
Neutrophils Dendritic Cells
Adaptive Immunity B lymphocytes & Helper T Cells &
Antibodies (made by Cytotoxic T Cells
plasma cells)
Macrophage & Other Antigen-presenting Cells Participate in
Both Innate & Adaptive Arm of Immune System

Phagocytosis of microorganisms by

Macrophage or Dendritic cell

Destruction of microbes. Antigen presentation to

Secretion of cytokines. CD4-positive helper T cells

Adaptive Immunity
Innate Immunity
Important Features of Innate And
Adaptive Immunity
Types of Specificity Time required Improves after Memory
Immunity for effect after exposure
exposure

Innate Nonspecific Acts within No No

minutes

Adaptive Highly specific Requires Yes Yes

several days
Active & Passive Immunity
• Active Immunity:
• It is resistance induced after contact with foreign antigens (e.g. ,
microorganisms).
• Contact consists of:
 Infections (clinical or subclinical)
 Immunization (with live or killed infectious agents or their
antigens)
 Exposure to microbial products (toxins and toxoids)
• Host actively produces an immune response.
Active & Passive Immunity
• Active Immunity:
• Advantage:
• Provides long term resistance.
• Disadvantage:
• Slow onset.
Active & Passive Immunity
• Passive Immunity:
• It is resistance based on antibodies that are preformed in
another host.
• Examples:
• Administration of antibodies against diptheria, tetanus,
botulism.
• Administration of preformed antibodies to certain viruses
(e.g. rabies virus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus etc.)
• Passage of IgG from mother to fetus during pregnancy.
• Passage of IgA from mother to newborn during breast
feeding.
Active & Passive Immunity

• Passive Immunity:
• Advantage:
• Large amounts of antibody become promptly available.
• Disadvantages:
• Short life span of these antibodies.
• Possibility of hypersensitivity reactions (if antibodies from
another species are used)
Passive-active Immunity

• It involves giving both preformed antibodies to provide

immediate protection (by passive immunity) and a vaccine to
provide long term protection (by active immunity).
• The preparations must be given at different body sites to
prevent neutralization of immunogens in the vaccine by the
given antibodies.
• Examples:
• It is used in prevention of tetanus and hepatitis B.
Characteristics of Active & Passive Immunity

Mediators Advantages Disadvantages

Active Immunity Antibodies & T Provides long term Slow onset

Cells resistance

Passive Immunity Antibodies only Immediate Short duration

availability (months)
Important Components of Innate
Immunity
Factors that limit entry of microorganism into our body.
Factors that limit growth of microorganism inside our
body.
Factors that limit entry of
microorganism into our body.

Factor Mode of Action

Keratin layer of intact skin Mechanical barrier

Surface phagocytes Ingests and destroys microbes

Low pH in stomach, vagina, fatty acids Retards growth of microbes

in skin

Lysozyme in tears and other Degrades peptidoglycan in bacterial

secretions cell wall
Factors that limit entry of
microorganism into our body.

Factor Mode of Action

Respiratory Cilia Elevate microorganisms that are
trapped in the mucosa

Defensins (Cationic Peptides) Create pores in the membrane of

microbes

Normal flora of the throat, colon and Occupy receptors, prevents

vagina colonization
Factors that limit growth of
microorganism inside our body.
Neutrophils Ingest and destroy microbes.

Natural Killer Cells Kill virus-infected cells.

Macrophages & Dendritic Cells Ingest and destroy microbes, present

antigen to T helper cells.

Interferons Inhibit viral replication.

Complement C3b acts as opsonin. Membrane attack

complex creates hole in bacterial
membrane.
Factors that limit growth of
microorganism inside our body.
Transferrin & Lactoferrin
Inflammatory response
Fever
APOBEC3G (Apolipoprotein B RNA-
Editing Enzyme)
Sequester iron required for growth of
bacteria.
Limits spread of microbes.
Elevates temperature to retard bacterial
growth.
Causes hypermutation in retroviral DNA
and mRNA.
Components of Innate Immunity
• Epithelia:
• Provide mechanical barriers to the entry of microorganisms
from external environment.
• Produce defensins.
• Lymphocytes located in the epithelia combat microorganisms
at these sites.
• Monocytes & Neutrophils:
• They are phagocytes in the blood.
• Can be rapidly recruited to the site of infection.
• Monocytes that enter the tissues and mature are known as
macrophages.
Components of Innate Immunity
• Dendritic cells:
• Specialized population of cells.
• Found in epithelia, lymphoid organs and also in most tissues.
• They capture protein antigens and present peptides for
recognition by T lymphocytes.
• They have rich collection of receptors that can sense
microorganisomes, damaged cells and stimulate secretion of
cytokines.
• Natural killer cells:
• Provide early protection against many viruses and intracellular
bacteria.
Components of Innate Immunity
• Innate lymphoid cells:
• These are cells with appearance of lymphocytes but having
features like cells of innate immunity.

• Soluble Proteins:
• Complement System
• Mannose-binding lectin
• C-reactive protein
• Lung Surfactant
Components of Adaptive Immunity:
• Lymphocytes and their products, including antibodies.
• Highly diverse receptors are used to recognize a vast
array of foreign substances.
Cells of Adaptive Immune System
• Morphologically, T and B lymphocytes appear quite
similar.
• How ever they are remarkably different and specialized
in molecular properties and functions.
• Lymphocytes and other cells involved in immune
responses are constantly circulating among lymphoid and
other tissues via blood and lymphatic circulation.
• This promotes Immune Surveillance.
Cells of Adaptive Immune System
• Naive Lymphocytes:
• Mature lymphocytes that have not encountered the specific
antigen (for which they have the specific receptor) are called
Naive lymphocytes or immunologically inexperienced
lymphocytes.
• Effector Cells & Memory Cells:
• After activation by recognition of specific antigen and other
signals, the mature naive lymphocytes differentiate into
effector cells and memory cells.
Cells of Adaptive Immune System
• Effector Cells:
• Performs the function of eleminating microbes.
• Memory Cells:
• Live in a state of raised awareness.
• In case the microbes return, memory cells can react rapidly and
strongly to combat the microbes.
Cells of Adaptive Immune System
• There are three population of T Lymphocytes:
• Helper T Lymphocytes
• Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes
• Regulatory T Lymphocytes
Cells of Adaptive Immune System
• Helper T Lymphocytes:
• Stimulates B Lymphocytes to produce antibodies.
• Activates other leukocytes (e.g. phagocytes) to destroy
microbes.
• Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes:
• Kill infected cells.
• Regulatory T Lymphocytes:
• Limit immune responses.
• Prevent reaction against self antigens.
Commonly Used Terms in Immunology
Antigen (Ag)
• Molecules that react with antobodies.
• A substance which stimulates antibody production
when introduced into the tissues.
• Usually protein in nature.
Immunogens
• Molecules that induce an immune response.
• In most cases, antigens are immunogens and the two
terms are used interchangeably. (Exception: Haptens)
Commonly
Hapten
Used Terms in Immunology
• A non-protein substance which has no immunogenic
property by itself.
• On combining with a protein it can form a new antigen
capable of forming antibodies.

Antibody (Ab)
• It is a protein substance produced as a result of
antigenic stimulation.
• Circulating antibodies are Immunoglobins (Igs).
• There are five classes of Immunoglobins: IgG, IgA,
IgM, IgE, IgD.
Structure of Immune System

• Primary Lymphoid Organs:

• Thymus
• Bone Marrow
• Secondary Lymphoid Organs:
• Lymph nodes
• Spleen
• Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT)
• in the respiratory & gastrointestinal tract.