University of Juba

School of Medical Laboratory Sciences

Course: MLS-225- Basic Immunology Class: 2nd Year

Adaptive immunity

Lecture 7 Date: 13th Nov. 2023

 Types of Adaptive immunity

Adaptive immunity is induced by immunization,

which can be achieved in several ways:

• Active immunization refers to immunization of

an individual by administration of an antigen
 Cont.
• Passive immunization refers to immunization
through the transfer of specific antibody from
an immunized individual to a nonimmunized
individual.

• Adoptive immunization refers to the transfer

of immunity by the transfer of immune cells.
 Major Characteristics of the Adaptive
Immune Response
The adaptive immune response has several
characteristic and distinguishing features, namely;

• Specificity

• Adaptiveness

• Discrimination between self and non-self

• Memory
 Specificity
• Specificity is the ability to discriminate among
different molecular entities and to respond
only to those uniquely required, rather than
making a random, undifferentiated response.
 Adaptiveness
• Adaptiveness is the ability to respond to previously
unseen molecules that may in fact never have naturally
existed before on earth.
• Discrimination between self and nonself is a cardinal
feature of the specificity of the immune response; it is
the ability to recognize and respond to molecules that
are foreign (nonself) and to avoid making a response to
those molecules that are self
 Memory
• Memory, a property shared with the nervous
system, is the ability to recall previous contact
with a foreign molecule and respond to it in a
learned manner, that is, with a more rapid and
larger response.
• Another term often used to describe
immunologic memory is anamnestic response.
 Adaptive Immune Response
The adaptive immune system uses the following strategies
to combat the majority of microbes:
• Secreted antibodies bind to extracellular microbes,
block their ability to infect host cells, and promote their
ingestion and subsequent destruction by phagocytes.
• Phagocytes ingest microbes and kill them, and helper T
cells enhance the microbicidal abilities of the
phagocytes.
 Cont.
• Helper T cells recruit leukocytes to destroy
microbes and enhance epithelial barrier
function to prevent the entry of microbes.

• Cytotoxic T lymphocytes kill cells infected by

microbes.
Phases of adaptive immune response
 Cont.
Adaptive immune responses are mediated by a
specialized group of leukocytes, the lymphocytes,
which include;
• T cells (T lymphocytes)
• B cells (B lymphocytes
they specifically recognize foreign material or
antigens.
 Function
• B cells are responsible for the production of
antibodies that act against extracellular
pathogens

• T cells are mainly concerned with cellular

immune responses to intracellular pathogens,
such as viruses. They also regulate the responses
of B cells and the overall immune response
Different types of T cell, and their functions
• Type 1 helper T cells (TH1 cells), this interacts
with mononuclear phagocytes and helps them
destroy intracellular pathogens.

• Type 2 helper T cells (TH2 cells), these

interacts with B cells and helps them to divide,
differentiate, and make antibody.
 Cont.
• Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) these are
responsible for the destruction of host cells
that have become infected by viruses or other
intracellular pathogens.
• Regulatory T cells or Tregs, help to control the
development of immune responses, and limit
reactions against self tissues.
 Cont.
• Although, CTL is one of the important
lymphocytes for killing the infected cells, but
other cell types e.g. natural killer cells and
eosinophil have also the capacity to kill other
infected cells.
Functions of different types of Lymphocytes
 Cont.
• Macrophages present antigen to TH1 cells, which
then activate the macrophages to destroy
phagocytosed pathogens.
• B cells present antigen to TH2 cells, which activate
the B cells, causing them to divide and differentiate.
• Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and large granular
lymphocytes (LGLs) recognize and destroy virally
infected cells.
 Cont.
• Eosinophils are a specialized group of
leukocytes that have the ability to engage and
damage large extracellular parasites, such as
schistosomes.
 Auxiliary cells control inflammation
The main purpose of inflammation is to;

• Attract leukocytes and the soluble mediators

of immunity towards a site of infection.

• Inflammation is mediated by a variety of other

cells including basophils, mast cells and
platelets.
 Cont.
• Basophils and mast cells have granules that
contain a variety of mediators, which induce
inflammation in surrounding tissues and are
released when the cells are triggered.
 Cont.
• Basophils and mast cells can also synthesize and
secrete a number of mediators that control the
development of immune reactions. Mast cells lie
close to blood vessels in all tissues, and some of
their mediators act on cells in the vessel walls.

• Basophils are functionally similar to mast cells,

but are mobile, circulating cells.
 Cont.
• Platelets are small cellular fragments which
are essential in blood clotting, but they can
also be activated during immune responses to
release mediators of inflammation.
 Activation of the complement system
Activation of the complement system generates
protein molecules or peptide fragments, which
have the following effects:
• Opsonization of microorganisms for uptake by
phagocytes and eventual intracellular killing;
• Attraction of phagocytes to sites of infection
(chemotaxis);
 Cont.
• Increased blood flow to the site of activation
and increased permeability of capillaries to
plasma molecules

• Release of inflammatory mediators from mast

cells.
 Cont.
• Damage to plasma membranes on cells, Gram
negative bacteria, enveloped viruses, or other
organisms that have caused complement
activation. This can result in lysis of the cell or
virus and so reduce the infection;