Adaptive Immunity

Clinical Bacteriology
• Acquired only after a specific challenge is • Also known as Invariant Natural Killer T
encountered and responds specific to the cells
challenge T helper cells
CTLs
2 RESPONSES:
Cytotoxins
A. HUMORAL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY /
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF
ANTIBODY MEDIATED IMMUNITY
IMMUNOLOGY
• More important in protection against
extracellular pathogens Variolation
• Antibody production by plasma cells
• Inoculation of susceptible individuals with
• Characterized by the production of
dried scabs from patients with cases of
antigen specific immunoglobulin
smallpox, which resulted to immunity
molecules, called as “induced in
• First practiced in China and India
response to an antigen and is
mediated by B lymphocytes A. Antisera
B lymphocytes • Serum that contains Ab (antibody) against
Ag (antigen)
• Humoral cell
• First used in the 1800’s in testing horse
• Origin: stem cells
diphtheria
• Developed in the bone marrow
Preparation
B. CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY
1. From animals
• More important in protection against
intracellular pathogens – cow, horse, rabbit
• Involves the activation of antigen
specific cells, such as CTLs 2. Pooled human serum
(cytotoxic t lymphocytes) and – convalescent superimmune serum
macrophages, which destroys the – serum taken from humans who recovered
cells harboring antigen from the disease
• Primarily defends against
intracellular pathogens. Multicellular Disadvantages
parasites, transplanted tissue and 1. Specificity
cancer cells 2. Side-effects like serum sickness (the more
you are exposed to a pathogen, the more you
T lymphocytes have your antibodies with you)
3. Presence of undetected virulent microbes
Cellular cell
• Origin: stem cells and mature in the
thymus

NK cells (natural killer cells) Advantages

• Subset of T cells 1. Provides patients with circulating antibodies
that are effective immediately after injection
 Example:
• Diphtheria antitoxin, tetanus antitoxin
• Side-effects are prevented by skin-test

Duration: 4-6 weeks

B. Vaccines

Characteristics
1. Stimulates lifelong immunity
2. Completely safe to use
3. Requires a single administration (make sure
that the content of the vials must be aspirated,
1 vial in single dose)
4. Relatively easy to produce

Composition
1. Killed pathogenic organisms
2. Attenuated
• Living but avirulent (inactive)
3. Toxoids
• Inactivated exotoxins

TYPES

1. Bacterial Vaccines
• attenuated or killed
• Example: pertussis, typhoid, cholera, plague
2. Toxins and Toxoids
• treating toxins with formaldehyde
• effectivity is longer and with higher Ab
response
• Example: tetanus and diphtheria
3. Rickettsial Vaccines
• grown in yolk sac of chick's embryo
• Example: rocky mountain spotted fever,
typhus
4. Viral Vaccines
• killed or attenuated
• Duration: 1 — 2 years
• May be increased with boosters (Ex.
Hepatitis B Vaccinations)
• Living organisms may provide lifetime
immunity
IgG – aid in secondary response
IgM – primary response, but can be produced in
both secondary and primary
IgA – can be monomer and dimer
 IgG IgA IgM IgD IgE
Heavy Chain Gamma Alpha Mu Delta Epsilon

Structure Monomer Monomer, Pentamer Monomer Monomer

Dimer

% Serum 70-75% 10-15% Approximately 0.2% 0.002%

10%
Sedimentation 7S 7S 19S 7S 8S
Coefficient

Half-Life in 23 days 5 days 6 days 1-3 days 2-3 days

Serum
MW 150,000 350,000 900,000 180,000 190,000
(DALTONS)
Complement All subclasses X Yes (BEST) X X
Fixation except IgG4
Crosses All subclasses X X X X
Placenta except IgG4

J Chain X YES YES X X

Functions Protects bacteria Decreases Activates Unknown, For (allergic
and viruses resistance to complement; however it reactions)
through infection causes cell helps in the hypersensitivit
phagocytosis lysis of activation of B y reactions;
microbes and cells. Mostly prevents
agglutination for component parasitic
of T infection
lymphocytes