IMMUNITY

BY U.SIVAKUMAR

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 OBJECTIVES
DEFINITION
CLASSIFICATION OF IMMUNITY
HUMORAL IMMUNITY
CELL – MEDIATED IMMUNITY
ABNORMAL IMMUNE RESPONSES

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 DEFINITION
Immunity is the resistance exhibited by the host
towards injury caused by microorganisms and their
products
• The skin and the mucosal membranes act as the
first line of defence and prevent the invasion of
the body by the pathogens
• Occasionally the microbes may overcome this
first line of defence and enter the tissue where
they are tackled by neutrophils and
macrophages. These act as the 2nd line of
defence
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• When these also fail and the microbes reach the
lymphoid system then the lymphocytes are
activated and the humoral and cell mediated
immune system tackles the invaded pathogens.
• This is the third line of body defence when this
also failed leads to a disease

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 CLASSIFICATION OF IMMUNITY
IMMUNITY

Innate Immunity Acquired immunity

Natural Artificial

Passive from the Active

Mother IgG Antibodies -Clinical disease (cell mediated)
Transferred through -Subclinical (humoral )
Placenta To the fetus infection
Antibodies through colostrum
Passive < > Active
serum with antibodies,injection of activate - vaccines
Lymphocytes - Toxoids
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INNATE IMMUNITY :-
1.This is inherent and present in all the subjects
This includes the following mechanisms:
1.skin :- It acts as a physical barrier and prevents
the invasion of the body by disease causing
organisms
Chemicals present in sweat, sebum and wax have
antibacterial activity and help in body defence

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Mucous membranes :-
These are present in the respiratory, digestive
and urogenital systems the pH lysozymes and
antibodies of the mucous prevent invasion by the
pathogens by their bacteriostatic and bactericidal
effects.
The ciliated epithelia of the mucosa and the
adhesive properties of the mucous also help in
defence

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 Reflex mechanisms like sneezing, coughing and
vomiting help in body defence by expelling the
pathogens
GIT secretions : saliva ,gastric juice and intestinal
juice with their specific pH and lysozymes also
participate in body defence by destroying the
pathogens
Lysozymes break the cell membrane of the
bacteria
Tears also contain lysozymes

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 Normal urination and defecation prevent the growth
of bacteria
Macrophages:-
These cells spread over the entire body
They destroy the invading organisms by phagocytosis
• Natural killer cells:- These are present in the spleen,
lymphnodes, bone marrow and blood .
These are a separate class of lymphocytes which can
kill pathogens,tumourcells, viral infected cells by
directly attacking them .
NORMAL GIT FLORA:- Normal flora present in the GIT
does not allow the growth of pathogenic organisms
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 The activation of the immune response with in
the body by the different mechanisms is called
active immunity
ACTIVE IMMUNITY IS OF TWO TYPES :-
I . Humoural immunity
II. Cellular immunity
Humoural immunity
B-Lymphocytes participate in humoural immunity
B-Lymphocytes Plasma cells specific
antibodies against foreign antigens
participate in humoural mediated immunity
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B – Lymphocytes activation takes place in the
lymphnodes or the spleen where bacteria reach
these places after penetrating the body linings
B – Lymphocytes interacts with three structures
1. Bacterial antigen which binds to the B – cell
plasma membrane immunoglobulin receptor
2. ‘T’ helper cells which recognizes the antigen
MHC-2 complex on B cell plasma membrane
3. Macrophage which acts as antigen presenting
cell (APC Produce IL- 1)

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Macrophage acting on APC present antigen
Complexed with MHC – 2proteins secretes IL - 1
Acts on both B cells and T helper cells

T helper cell multiply secrete IL – 2 other cytokines

IL – 2 and other cytokines act on B cell

Cause proliferation and differentiation

IL – 1 from APC and IL – 2, other cytokines from T

– helper act as co stimulants for B – cells .
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 B cells multiply

increase in numbers

some transformed into plasma cells

starts producing specific antibodies

Some ‘B’ cells which donot differentiate into plasma

cells become memory cells

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• These respond faster to an antigen that appear
at a future time
• The antibodies belong to a group of
glycoprotein's called globulins hence they are
called immunoglobulin's.
• These are IgM , IgD,IgG,IgA and IgE

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• The antibodies bound to the antigen on the
microbial surface donot directly kill the microbe
but connect the microbe to the killing
mechanisms
1. MACROPHAGE
2. COMPLEMENT SYSTEM
3. NATURAL KILLER CELLS

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• IgA antibodies are present in the mucosal
secretions and protect the mucosal surface from
infections
• IgM remains mostly intravascular because of
large size and tackle those organisms that enter
the blood stream
• IgM is a pentamer these are more effective than
IgG antibodies in destroying organisms
• IgD is present on the surface of immature B –
Lymphocytes and helps them in functional
maturation
• IgE take part in hypersensitive immune reactions
(ALLERGY)
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CELL – MEDIATED IMMUNITY :-
This is the function of T – Lymphocytes and natural
killer (N-K) lymphocyte
The ‘T’cell population takes origin in the bone
marrow reaches the thymus where they attain
functional maturity under the influence of
thymopoietin secreted by the thymus

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 There are different ‘T’ cells:-
T Helper
T Killer (cytotoxic T cells ) and
T Suppressor cells
T memory cells
ACTIVATION OF HELPER ‘T’ CELLS :-
• The T helper cells are activated either in the
lymph node or spleen
• When the pathogen reaches these organs either
through the lymph or blood the macrophage
acting as APC activates T helper in three ways
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 1. By presenting the antigen complexed with MHC
class II protein

T- Helper IL - 1 B cell act as an APC

3. The MHC (Major histocompatible complex )
class II protein are presented to helper ‘T’ cell
4. The ‘T’ Helper cell recognizes MHC class II
protein and gets activated
5. The activated ‘T’ helper cell now secretes IL – 2
Other cytokines (peptides)
stimulate multiplication of the ‘T’ helper cell by
autocrine effect
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6.Cytokines also act on B cells and cytotoxic ‘T’cells

cause their multiplication and proliferation

Two classes of helper ‘T’ cells formed

some of them secrete

cytokines some act as memory
‘T’ helper cells
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ACTIVATION OF CYTOTOXIC CELLS (CD – 8) :-
• These recognize the MHC class I proteins
present in all the nucleated cells

• Hence all the nucleated cells bearing MHC

class I protein on their cell membranes can
act as APC virus – infected cells, cancerous
cells and foreign graft cells produce abnormal
proteins which act as antigens

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The peptide fragments of these antigens are
complexed with MHC class I protein

Cytotoxic ‘T’ cells (CD – 8) recognize this complex

and get activated

The activation of cytotoxic ‘T’ cells requires IL -2

T Helper cells

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 The activated cytotoxic ‘T’ cells

Cause death of virus infected cells tumor cells

and foreign graft cells

by releasing perforin and lymphotoxin

Perforin forms holes in the cell membrane of the

target cell

allow the ECF to flow in causes swelling and the cell

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Lymphotoxin activates the damaging enzymes within the
target cell

These enzymes destroy DNA and the cell dies

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 ‘T’ Suppressor cell :-
• they are capable of suppressing the functions of
both cytotoxic and helper T cells.
• It is believed that these suppressor functions
serve the purpose of preventing the cytotoxic
cells from causing excessive immune reactions
that might be damaging to the body’s own tissue

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(N-K CELLS) Natural killer cells :-
• These are other type of lymphocytes that destroy
the pathogens
• N-K cells along with macrophages are activated by
IL – 2 and interferon gamma secreted by ‘T’
helper cells
• N-K cells attack virus – infected cells,tumour cells
and any other abnormal and foreign cells and
destroy them.

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 ABNORMAL IMMUNE RESPONSES
• B – Lymphocyte deficiency :-
• Humoural immunity is deficient X linked
Agammaglobulinaemia the gut associated lymphoid
tissue shows atrophy IgG titre is very low and the
subject is susceptible to pyogenic
infections,meningitis,respiratory tract infection,
pneumonia etc
B – Lymphocyte (plasma cell) proliferation :-
In multiple myeloma there is an enormous increase in
plasma cells i.e immunoglobulin's are secreted in
more quantity especially the light chains.Light chains
are excreted into the urine as Bence – jonce proteins
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• In the absence of the lymphokines (PROTEIN
MEDIATORS ) from the helper T cells, the
remainder of the immune system is almost
paralyzed.
• In fact, it is the helper T cells that are inactivated
or destroyed by the acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS) virus.
• In AIDS T helper cells are attacked by HIV there is
an increase in the susceptibility to fungal and
mycobacterial infection
• The subject is also susceptible to tumor
development
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 Autoimmune diseases :-
In these antibodies are produced against their own
tissues
Eg: Myasthenia gravis

Immunoinflammatory disease :-
Hypersensitive reactions various allergic states like
hay fever,allergic rhinitis bronchial asthma etc.

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 SUMMARY
• Immunity is the resistance exhibited by the host
towards injury caused by microorganisms and
their products.
• Immunity is classified as innate immunity and
acquired immunity.
• Innate immunity is inherent it includes skin
mucous membranes, reflex mechanisms like
sneezing,coughing,vomiting,GIT secretions
example saliva, gastric juice, intestinal juice.
•
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• Active immunity is of two types 1.Humoral
immunity 2.cell mediated immunity.
• B-lymphocytes participate in humoral immunity
these are immunoglobulin's IgM,IgD,IgG,IgA and
IgE.T-Lymphocytes participate in cell mediated
immunity.
• There are four types of T cells – T helper cells T-
Killer cells,T suppressor cells,T-Memory cells.

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• B lymphocytes deficiency leads to failure of
humoral immunity.
• T- Helper cells are destroyed in acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus.

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 Important Questions
1. Define and classify immunity and Describe the
mechanism of B and T lymphocytes in immunity ?
- 15 Marks
2.Define and classify immunity?Write a short note on
immunological disorders?
- 7 Marks
3.Describe in detail cell mediated immunity
- 7 Marks
4. Describe in detail Humoral immunity
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