INTRODUCTION

TO
IMMUNOLOGY
What is
Immunology?
◻It came from the Latin term “immunis” which means
“exempt”. From that the english term “Immunity” was
derived – which means “state of protection”

◻ This term was applied to science as they recognized a bodily

system that had enabled the organism to withstand or protect
itself from foreign units. This system was called the
Immune System.
What is
Immunology?
◻Immunology can be simply defined as the study of how
the Immune system protects the organism.

◻ It is accurately defined as the study of a host’s

reactions when foreign substances are introduced into
the body. A foreign substance that induces such an
immune response is called an antigen.
 Historical
◻ Perspective
Immunology as a science has its roots in the study of immunity,
the condition of being resistant to infection.

◻ Perhaps the earliest written reference to the phenomenon of

immunity can be traced back to Thucydides, the great historian of
the Peloponnesian War.

◻ In describing a plague in Athens, he wrote in 430 BC that only

those who had recovered from the plague could nurse the sick
because they would not contract the disease a second time.
 Historical
◻
Perspective
The first recorded attempts to induce immunity deliberately
were performed by the Chinese and Turks in the fifteenth
century. They performed a technique called variolation.

◻ In 1718, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the British

ambassador to Constantinople, observed the positive effects of
variolation on the native population and had the technique
performed on her own children.
Historical
Perspective
✔He was the first to notice a remarkable
relationship between exposure to cowpox
and immunity to smallpox, which was called
Cross Reactivity.

✔Unknowingly, He was the first to create a

vaccine, which was derived from the Latin
term “vacca” – meaning cow.

Edward Jenner
 Historical
Perspective
Louis
✔He discovered that subsequent exposure to
Pasteur an organism previously encountered will
have no effect to the host.
✔By these principles he develop the
technique of attenuation – the process by
which a pathogen is weakened, but still, has
the capability to induce an immune
response.
✔He was also responsible for
✔He also began the classic experiment at
creating attenuated vaccines for
Pouilly-le-Fort in 1881, which marked the
Anthrax and Rabies
beginnings of Immunology as a discipline
 Historical
Perspective
✔ He Serum Antitoxins by
discovered
demonstrating that serum from animals
previously immunized to diphtheria could
transfer the immune state to unimmunized
animals.

✔ It was the first insight that Humoral immunity

was possible because of antibodies.

Emil von Behring

Historical
Perspective
Elie
✔He was the first to observe Phagocytosis
Metchnikoff and hypothesized that it was one
component of the body’s immune system.
✔This process was later called Cell-
mediated immunity, and spawned a
debate on which theory was correct.

✔In 1903, an English physician named

Almoth Wright linked the two theories
by showing that the immune response
involved both cellular and humoral
elements.
 Historical
Perspective
✔He showed that the disease Tuberculosis was
fought by the body through cellular
immunity. Later, this specific immune response
was called Delayed Immunity or Type IV
Hypersensitivity

Robert
Koch
Historical
Perspective
Paul
Ehrlich

✔Through his Selective theory, he was able

to explain the origin and specificity of
antibodies.
Historical
Perspective
✔ He discovered anaphylaxis, or
hypersensitivity,
which is one adverse effect of immunity

Charles
Richet
Historical
Perspective
Jules
Bordet

✔Discovered the Complement System, a

group of serum proteins that circulate in an
inactive state, which when activated, has
the capability of destroying membranes.
 Historical
Perspective
✔He demonstrated that Red Blood Cells have
antigens (A, B, O), which he called the ABO
Blood group system.

Karl
Landsteiner
 Historical
Perspective
Macfarlane
Burnet

✔ Discovered acquired
immunologic
tolerance.

Peter Medawar
 Historical
Perspective

✔ They were the first ones to describe

the structure of antibodies.

Gerald Edelman
Rodney
Porter
Historical
Perspective
Clemens Von
Pirquet

✔ He coined the term

allergy.
Historical
Perspective Svante
Arrhenius

✔He stated that Antigen-Antibody Reactions

are reversible.
Historical
Perspective
Felix
Haurowitz

✔He developed the Template or Instructive

theory of antibody diversity.
 Historical
Perspective
✔She was the first to use Radioactive chemicals
as labels for immunologic techniques, which
became known as Radioimmunoassay.

Rosalyn
Yalow
Historical
Perspective
George Snell

✔Together with his colleagues, they

discovered the Major
Histocompatibility Complex, the
genes that control the expression of
large groups of proteins.
 Historical
Perspective
✔Developed theories on the process of
immunoregulation. Both he and M. Burnet
were proponents for the Clonal Selection
Theory of Antibody Diversity.

Niels
Jerne
Historical
Perspective
Georges Koehler

✔ Together with Cesar Millstein,

developed
Monoclonal Antibodies.
 Historical
Perspective
✔He developed the Endpoint Radial
Immunodiffusion test, the Mancini Test
(Single Diffusion, Double Dimension).

G.
Mancini
Historical
Perspective
J.L.
Fahey
✔Together with E.M. Mckelvey, they develop
the Fahey-Mckelvey Radial
Immunodiffusion or the Kinetic Radial
Immunodiffusion.
 Historical
Perspective
✔He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
his 1978 discovery of the genetic
principles underlying the generation
of antibodies with different
specificities.

Susumu
Tonegawa
 Historical
Perspective
Edward Donnall
✔Developed and performed the
Thomas
first successful transplantations.
Joseph
Murray
 Historical
Perspective
✔Together with Rolf Zinkernagel, recognized
the Role of major histocompatibility complex
in antigen recognition by T cells.

Peter
Doherty
 Historical
Perspective
Luc
Montagnier
✔Both of the researches of
these men were focused on
the Human
Immunodeficiencey Virus
(HIV).

Robert Gallo
Historical
Perspective
✔ Developed the technique PCR
(Polymerase
Chain Reaction)

Kary
Mullis
Historical
Perspective
Ian Frazer
✔Frazer and his colleagues developed and
patented the basic technology behind the HPV
vaccine against cervical cancer; the second
cancer preventing vaccine, and the first
vaccine designed to prevent a cancer (Two
are marketed as Gardasil and Cervarix).
Historical
Perspective
Person Contribution
Rantz and Randall Developed the Anti-Streptolysin
O Neitralization Test
C.B. Laurell Developed the Rocket Technique for
immunoelectrophoresis
Robert Kaus Discovered Precipitins
Miller and Gord (?)/ Role of Thymus and Bursa of Fabricius
Bruce Glick

Note: There are many more individuals that gave their contributions to
Immunology.
The Components of
Immunity
Immunity can be classified according to their
nature.
◻ Innate – Less specific, Immediate defense. It is
synonymous with natural and non-specific
immunity.

◻ Adaptive – More specific, non-immediate

defense. It is synonymous with Acquired and
Specific immunity.
The Components of
Immunity
◻ Innate immunity is the ability to resist infection
by means of normally present body functions

◻ Adaptive immunity is characterized by

specificity for each individual pathogen and the
ability to remember exposure, which results in a
heightened response upon repeated exposure
 Components of
Immunity
Immunity Origin Memory Commonality

Innate/Natural/Non-Specific Present at Birth No Memory Common in all

Adaptive/Acquired/Specific Absent at Birth Possesses Memory Diverse

Components of
Immunity
◻ Immunity can also be classified as Passive or
Active

◻ Passive immunity is where the individual does not

create the component necessary for the
immunologic action

◻ Active immunity is where the individual creates

the immunologic component
Components of
Immunity
◻Immunity can also be classified according to their
location. Some components of are External, which is
composed of structural barriers that prevent most
infectious agents from entering the body; some are
Internal, which is designed to recognize molecules that
are unique to infectious organisms. They provide
immunity against agents that go beyond the External.
Components of
Immunity
The components of immunity can also be classified
as first, second, or third line.
◻ First line provides the most immediate
immune response, which is impedimentary
◻ Second line provides immunity whenever the first
is line is surpassed.
◻ The third line is the most specific among the three
Components of
Immunity
NATURAL ADAPTIVE
First Line of Defense Second Line of Defense Third Line of Defense
-Skin -Phagocytosis -Specialized Lymphocytes
-Secretions -Inflammation -Antibodies
-Acidity -Antimicrobial substances
-Cilia (Complement, Properdin,
-Normal Flora Interferon, TNF, ß-Lysin)
Components of
Immunity
◻ Immunity can also be classified according to
the nature of its elements.
◻ Cellular or Cell-Mediated immunity is the type
of immunity arbitrated by cells of the body
◻ Humoral immunity is the type of immunity
arbitrated by soluble factors (eg, Antibodies)
 Components of
Immunity
Natural Adaptive
Cellular Humoral Cellular Humoral
-Phagocytosis as -Complement System -T cells Lymphokines
facilitated by -Interferon
Neutrophils/Ferrata -Lysozymes -B cells
cells, Macorphages, -Plasma Cells Antibodies
Monocytes

-Cells such as
Eosinophils,
Basophils and NK
cells.
The Components one byone
The
Skin
◻ The primary barrier against foreign agents is the
skin. It is a very effective barrier against the
entry of microorganisms.
◻ Has two distinct layers – the Epidermis and
Dermis
Epidermis = Epithelial Cells & Dead Cells
Dermis = Sebaceous and Sweat Glands
◻ How does the skin get compromised?
Mucus
Membranes
◻ The conjunctivae and the alimentary,
respiratory, and urogenital tracts are lined by
mucous membranes, not by the dry, protective
skin that covers the exterior of the body.
◻ Essential also are Saliva, tears, and mucus
secretions
Normal
Flora
◻ Competitive
Exclusion
Skin S.
Mouth epidermidis
GI Tract Viridans spp.
GU Tract L. acidophilus, Bacteriodes
◻
spp. of these flora may have drastic
Removal or transfer
effects C. albicans
 END?
To be continued next
week.