Immunology Answers – Flashcards

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question
What is the function of lactoferrin as an antimicrobial?
answer
This complexes with most available Fe; bacteria must uptake Fe to survive.
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What is the function of apolactoferrin as an antimicrobial?
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Complexes with receptors on certain cells that bacteria use to enter these cells.
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What opsonizers can activate the complement pathway?
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C-reactive protein, serum amyloid protein, mannose binding lectin, C3, antibodies
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Which cells secrete the plasma proteins (such as C reactive protein) that opsonize bacteria?
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hepatocytes. These are secreted continuously, but CRP and SAP are rapidly upscaled in the case of infection.
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What are the three pathways for C3 activation?
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classical: antibody binds to pathogen, attracts C1 (a protease) which bind+ cleaves C2 + C4, which together cleave C3
alternate: C3 binds pathogen itself, cleaving spontaneously
lectin pathway: mannose-binding lectin (a serine protease) binds to pathogen, recruits and cleaves C2/C4
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What is the positive feedback loop in C3->C3b conversion?
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C3b is a component in an alternate form of C3 convertase (C3b+Bb)
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What are the components of C5 convertase?
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C3b + C3 convertase (either C3/Bb or C2/C4 form)
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What is the effect of C5a/b?
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C5a is a chemoattractant for phagocytes.
C5b attracts other complements to form a lysing device (membrane attack complex).
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Which complement turns on the adaptive immune system?
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C3d
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What are the primary activites of NK cells in response to viral attack?
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1. use granules to promote apoptosis of infected cells
2. release INF-gamma to recruit macrophages
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What part of the immune system does INF-a,b turn on?
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Systemic effects - all cells that encounter enter anti-viral state (increased proteolysis, viral mRNA degradation) Also, NK's are turned on.
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What larger class of receptors is a toll-like receptor a member of?
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PAMP (pathogen associated molecular pattern) receptors
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Which cytokines are fantastic at activating macrophages? Who secretes them?
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IFN-y ("gamma"), secreted by NK cells (among others)
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What are the effects of mast cell granules?
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Redness (increased capillary engorement)
swelling ("", + increased leakiness due to tight junction breakdown)
Pain - stimulation of nociceptors
Both effects mediated by serotonin and histamine
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What are the effects of mast cell granules?
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Histamine, serotin, heparine: pain, redness, swelling (neutrophil chemokine), clot-freeness (short-term)

prostaglandins, leukotrienes

Neutral proteases: cleaves C3->3a, tissue damage to promote clots and scars

Prostaglandins and leukotrienes -> swelling and bronchospasm

IL-4 and TNF -> attract neutrophils and eosinophils, systemic inflammation

 

question
what are the primary cytokines that mast cells secrete?
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IL-4 (attracts especially eosinophils), TNF-a
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What are the 4 functions of macrophages?
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1. phagocytose
2. Antigen presentation
3. cytokine secretion (can modify adaptive immune system, recruit NK's, cause inflammation among others)
4. healing - by stimulating angiogenesis + fibrosis
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What are the affects of TNF?
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activate neutrophils and endothelial cells (inflammation, stickiness), cause hypothalamic fever, cause hepatic acute phase protein production, cause muscle/fat catabolism, enhance apoptosis.
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What is in neutrophil specific and azurophilic granules?
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azurophilic - myeloperoxidase (makes bleach)
specific - lactoferrin, lysozyme
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How do antibodies activate mast cells/eosinophils?
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IgE is already on the mast cell/eosionphil membrane - binding of antigen activates the cell.
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What are the actions of major basic protein?
Who secrets it?
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1 a) mast cell degranulation
b) proteolysis of sulfated proteoglycans (heparin, parasites)
2 eosinophils
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What is the nature of eosinophil granules that makes them well-suited to fighting parasites?
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they secrete several enzymes that break down tough outer coverings of parasites, including MBP, acid phosphatase, elastase
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Which T cells express CD4/CD8?
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Helper T cells - CD4. Cytotoxic T cells - CD8
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Which cells express MHC II?
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dendritic cells, macrophages, B cells (!)
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What type of cells perform cross presentation?
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dendritic cells (this is when the peptides leak out of the phagosome to present to cytotoxic T cells via MHC I)
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What protein moves antigenic peptides from the cytosol to the ER?
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TAP - transporter associated with antigen processing
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What sort of lymphocytes/lymphatic tissue are found in the skin?
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scattered memory B's and T's, gamma-delta T's
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What is the name of the epitope-specific portions of variable regions in antibodies?
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CDR's - complementary determining regions
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Which Ig's are most long-lived? WhyWhich Ig's are most prevalent? Where?
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IgG is long lived because when it is endocytosed, the FcRn receptor makes it be recycled instead of lysosome-degraded.
IgA is the most plentiful, found especially in secretions.
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What enzyme creates junctional diversity in antibodies and TCR's?
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TdT - terminal deoxynucleotide transferase
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Which are equivalent between heavy and light antibody chains and a and b TCR chains?
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heavy -> b
light -> a
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a cell express only the heavy chain of an immunoglobin. What type of cell is it?
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A pre-b cell
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A cell expresses only IgM. What type of cell is it
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an immature b-cell
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Which type(s) of B cell can be found in the spleen that is NOT yet mature?
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immature B cells
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What stage of T cell is double-positive for CD4/8?
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immature T cells - pro and pre are in analgous receptor making modes to pro and pre B cells
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What sort of cell presents antigens to thymocytes during their education?
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epithelioreticular (thymic reticular) cells
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What is the signal and receptor (give CD #) that causes T cell proliferation?
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Signal is IL-2; receptor is IL-2 a,b,y subunits. a-subunit is CD 25
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When APC's bind to T cells in a synapse, what is the primary means of causing differentiation of the T cell?
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cytokines (not membrane-bound receptors/ligands)
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what is the effect of INF-a?
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this is a type I interferon (like INF-B), so it turns cells into the "antiviral" state
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What do HLA genes encode?
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MHC molecules
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what is invarient chain? What are steps of its removal?
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it's a protein that binds MHC II to stabilize it/ prevent it from binding ER proteins. Degraded into CLIP, then removed by HLA-DP
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What do all T cells display (CD)?
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CD3
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What is NF-kB?
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a pro-inflammatory transcription factor
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What determines what sort of Th into which the mature-naive T cell will differentiate?
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cytokines from APC - reflects which PAMP (TLR) receptors were activated and what the cytokine milieu around the infection was and what the genetics of the host are.
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Why do activated Th cells still need TCRs?
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They should only secrete cytokines at the point of infection
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What is the overall function of a Th2 cell?
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1) stimulate eosinophil/mast cell inflammation
2) stop classic macrophage-driven inflammation
3) promote Th2 formation and diminish Th1 formation
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What are the different effects of Th2 vs. Th1 cells on innate immunity and B cells?
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Th2 - M2 (repair/fibrotic) macrophages, eosinophils/mast cells active, neutralizing IgG
Th1 - M1 macrophages, neutrophils, opsonizing IgG
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What do Th17 cells secrete?
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IL-17, which attracts neutrophils in the skin, mucosal areas.
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Name some anti-inflammatory cytokines
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IL-10, TGF-B
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What is Fas and what binds it?
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This is a death receptor on stressed cells; Fas ligand binds this (on cytotoxic T cell)
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What are granzymesPerforins?
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Perforins puts holes in cell endosome that has endocytosed T cell granule contents
granzymes activate caspases (start apoptotic mechanism)
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How do CTL's help macrophages kill cells?
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They secrete INF-y, which makes Mq's more active, so they eat more infected cells!
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Are effector T cells short- or long-lived?
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short - they have Fas and other receptors that shut them down pretty soon after they're activated
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Why do NK cells kill cells which have MHC-suppressing viruses?
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The NK cells need a continuous negative signal (activates phosphatases which act on ITAM regions of activating receptors) to keep from killing. This negative signal is MHC+self peptide
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What's the signal for B-cell inactivation?
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a B-cell has its membrane-bound Ab bound by antigen, and has its FcyR bound by antigen-bound Ab. A "small immune complex"
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What is the poly-Ig receptor?
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Binds to J-chain of IgA/M Ab to transcytose it to gut lumen
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