Session 14:

Normal immune response

Dr. Felician Sikujua (MD)

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 Learning tasks
At the end of this session, students are expected to be
able to:
• Explain types of immunity.
• Identify cells of immune system.
• Identify tissues of immune system.
• Explain how cells of immune system respond to
microbes.

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 Introduction
• Immunity refers to protection against infections.
• Immune system is the collection of cells and
molecules that are responsible for defending the
body against pathogenic microbes in the
environment.
• There are two (2) types of immunity:
1. Innate immunity
2. Adaptive immunity
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 Innate immunity (natural or native
immunity)
• It is mediated by cells and proteins that are always
present and poised to fight against microbes, being
called into action immediately in response to
infection.
• The innate immune response is able to prevent and
control many infections.
• However, many pathogenic microbes have evolved to
overcome the early defenses, and protection against
these infections requires the more specialized and
powerful mechanisms of adaptive immunity.
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 Components of innate immunity
1. Epithelial barriers of the skin, gastrointestinal
tract, and respiratory tract, which prevent
microbe entry.
2. Phagocytic leukocytes (neutrophils and
macrophages); and a specialized cell type called the
natural killer (NK) cells.
3. Several circulating plasma proteins, the most
important of which are the proteins of the
complement system.

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 Adaptive immunity
• Adaptive immunity is normally silent and responds
(or “adapts”) to the presence of infectious microbes
by becoming active, expanding, and generating potent
mechanisms for neutralizing and eliminating the
microbes.
• Components of the adaptive immune system are:
lymphocytes and their products.

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 Types of Adaptive immunity
1. Humoral immunity.
• Mediated by soluble proteins called antibodies that
are produced by plasma cells [differentiated B
lymphocytes (also called B cells)].
• Antibodies provide protection against extracellular
microbes in the blood, mucosal secretions, and
tissues.

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 Types of Adaptive immunity cont…

2. Cell-mediated (or cellular) immunity.

• Mediated by T lymphocytes (also called T cells).
• T lymphocytes are important in defense against
intracellular microbes.
• They work by either:
– Directly killing infected cells (accomplished by cytotoxic T
lymphocytes) or
– Activating phagocytes to kill ingested microbes, via the
production of soluble protein mediators called cytokines
(made by helper T cells).

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 Cells of Immune system
The cells of the immune system consist of:
1. Lymphocytes, which recognize antigens and mount
adaptive immune responses.
2. Specialized antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which
capture and display microbial and other antigens to
the lymphocytes.
3. Various effector cells, whose function is to
eliminate microbes and other antigens.

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 Lymphocytes
• Lymphocytes are present in the circulation and in
various lymphoid organs.
• Lymphocytes develop from precursors in the
generative lymphoid organs.
• There are two (2) types of lymphocytes:
1. T lymphocytes are so called because they mature in
the thymus.
2. B lymphocytes mature in the bone marrow.

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 T lymphocytes
• Effector cells of cellular immunity and the “helper
cells” for antibody responses to protein antigens.
• T cells do not detect free or circulating antigens,
instead, they recognize only peptide fragments of
protein antigens bound to proteins of the major
histocompatibility complex (MHC).
– This system ensures that T cells can recognize antigens
displayed by other cells.
• T cells function by interacting with other cells—
either to kill infected cells or to activate phagocytes
or B lymphocytes that have ingested protein antigens.
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 B lymphocytes
• Bone marrow–derived B lymphocytes are the cells
that produce antibodies.
• They are effector cells of humoral immunity.
• B cells recognize antigen by means of membrane-
bound antibody of the immunoglobulin M (IgM)
class.
• Unlike T cells, B cells can detect and respond to free
or circulating antigens (chemical structures including
soluble or cell-associated proteins, lipids,
polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and small chemicals).
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 Natural killer (NK) cells
• Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that arise
from the common lymphoid progenitor that gives rise
to T and B lymphocytes.
• However, NK cells are cells of innate immunity and
do not express highly variable and clonally
distributed receptors for antigens.
• Therefore, they do not have specificities as diverse as
do T cells or B cells.
• NK cells kill cells that are infected by some microbes
or are stressed and damaged beyond repair.
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 Antigen presenting cells(APCs)
• Capture microbes and other antigens, transport them
to lymphoid organs, and display them for recognition
by lymphocytes.
• The most efficient APCs are dendritic cells, which are
located in epithelia and most tissues.
• Others are macrophages and B cells.

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 Effector cells
• Leukocytes that perform the ultimate task of the
immune response, which is to eliminate infections.
1. NK cells are front-line effector cells.
2. Antibody-secreting plasma cells are the effector
cells of humoral immunity.
3. T lymphocytes (both CD4+ helper T cells and CD8+
CTLs) are effector cells of cell-mediated immunity.
4. Macrophages effectors cells for both types of
immunity.

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Lymphoid tissue of immune system

1. Generative (primary) lymphoid organs.

• In these organs lymphocytes express antigen
receptors and mature.
• These are thymus and bone marrow.
2. Peripheral (secondary) lymphoid organs.
• In this organs adaptive immune responses develop.
• These are lymph nodes, spleen, mucosal and
cutaneous lymphoid tissues.

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 Overview of normal immune
responses
• The physiologic function of the immune system is
defense against infectious microbes.
• The early reaction to microbes is mediated by the
mechanisms of innate immunity, which are ready to
respond to microbes.
• The defense reactions of adaptive immunity develop
slowly, but are more potent and specialized.

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 Overview of normal immune
responses cont…
• Microbes and other foreign antigens are captured by
dendritic cells and transported to lymph nodes, where
the antigens are recognized by naive lymphocytes.
• The lymphocytes are activated to proliferate and
differentiate into effector and memory cells.
• Cell-mediated immunity is the reaction of T-
lymphocytes, designed to combat cell-associated
microbes (e.g., phagocytosed microbes and microbes
in the cytoplasm of infected cells).

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 Overview of normal immune
responses cont…
• Humoral immunity is mediated by antibodies and is
effective against extracellular microbes (in the
circulation and mucosal lumens).
• Antibodies secreted by plasma cells neutralize
microbes and block their infectivity, and promote the
phagocytosis and destruction of pathogens.

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 Overview of normal immune
responses cont…
• CD4+ helper T cells help B cells to make antibodies,
activate macrophages to destroy ingested microbes,
stimulate recruitment of leukocytes, and regulate all
immune responses to protein antigens.
• The functions of CD4+ T cells are mediated by
secreted proteins called cytokines.
• CD8+ (Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes) kill cells that
express antigens in the cytoplasm that are seen as
foreign (e.g., virus-infected and tumor cells).

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 Key points
• The physiologic function of the immune system is
defense against infectious microbes.
• Cells involved in innate immunity are neutrophils,
macrophages and natural killer cells.
• Humoral immunity is mediated by B cells while cell
mediated immunity is mediated by T cells.
• Antibodies are produced by differentiated B cells
called plasma cells.
• Dendritic cells are the most efficient antigen
presenting cells.
• Natural killer cells are front-line effector cells. 21
 Review questions
1. Differentiate between innate immunity and adaptive
immunity.
2. List three (3) components of innate immunity.
3. What is the role of antigen presenting cells?
4. List five (5) tissues of immune system.
5. Explain mechanisms on how T cells defend against
microbes.

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 References
• Kumar V. ; Abbas A. K. ; Aster J. C.;(2013): Robbins
and Contran Pathologic Basis of Disease (9th Ed.)
Elsevier Saunders, USA. Pg. 99-109.
• Mohan H.;(2010): Text book of Pathology (6th Ed.)
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, India. Pg. 61-64.

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