Basic Concept and Components

of the Immune System

DR. NOELLE ORATA
MOUNT KENYA UNIVERSITY
LECTURER – IMMUNOPATHOLOGY
Introduction
• The essential features of the host defense system comprise:
1. Innate component – 1st line of defense
2. Adaptive component – takes longer to mobilize

• The two components are not independent but are functionally

interrelated in various critical eg through soluble effector molecules
called cytokines
INNATE IMMUNITY
• Exists in some form in most organisms
• It is fast!!!
• The non-pathogen-specific recognition molecules is a key feature of
innate immunity
• Uses mainly phagocytic cells and NK cells as well as serum proteins
• For example: phagocytic cells (Macrophage) will recognize infection
via pattern recognition receptor molecules that detect structural
motifs on invading microbes
Innate immunity
• Types of recognition receptor molecules include:
1. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) –recognize a variety of substances found
on a range of microbes but not on the host cells
2. Mannon-binding lecithin:
• Seen in the complement system.
• It recognizes sugar molecules containing mannose on the surface of
bacteria, fungi, viruses and helps activate the complement cascade
• Its present in solution in plasma
Innate immunity
• Soluble molecules associated with innate immune system:
1. Serum proteins of the complement system
2. Interferons – inhibits replication of many viruses and is not
pathogen specific
3. Cytokines
Adaptive Immunity
• It is able to distinguish self from non-self
• It creates an anticipatory defense system of recognition molecules
that interact with foreign, non self antigen
• It has specificity – discriminates against various molecular entities
• It has diversity – capacity to respond to almost any antigen
encountered
• It has memory – recalls previous encounter with antigen and second
time round shows a stronger response
• Vertebrate genomes contains several genes that encode many
millions of antigen recognition molecules.
• These gene families include antigen receptors capable of recogonizing
any given antigen
Adaptive immunity
• Immature adaptive immune system cells “cut and paste” (recombine)
segments of the receptor genes to produce this huge diversity of
receptors.
• A molecular mechanism enable some of the receptors (antibodies) to
be modified at the somatic level during the immune response to
create receptors with a better fit; i.e the binding is more specific
Adaptive immunity
• The products of these gene duplications are the gene families that
encode the antigen recognition molecules: antibodies, T-cell
receptors (TCRs) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
proteins
• Each Lymphocyte is thought to have a unique antigen receptor
• Once an antigen encounters a lymphocyte bearing the receptor that
best fits the antigen this preexisting cell divides and gives rise to many
daughter cells(clones).
• Thus the lymphocyte is clonally expanded, making available more of
the receptor specific for the antigen encountered
Adaptive immunity
• Disadvantage of adaptive immunity:
➢ Antiself receptors can be generated thus this cells should be deleted
or inactivated
➢If they remain active, autoimmune diseases then occur
Adaptive immunity
• This model for understanding the development of the capacity to
recognize and respond specifically to nonself molecules is known as
the clonal selection theory
Components of the Immune
System
Components of the immune System
• Uses cells and Soluble moleculesas effectors to protect the host
• Consists of a number of different cell types, all leukocytes, specialized
to perform different functions
• Eg phagocytes are used nonspecifically to destroy invading microbes
• Mature cells can occur in blood eg LQ or tissues eg dendritic cells
Components of the immune System
• Lymphocytes (B and T cells) provide specific Immunity
• The product of B cells are: antibodies. These are soluble molecules
a.k.a humoral immune system
• Extracellular pathogens are eliminated chiefly by antibodies
• Intracellular pathogens require T cells and macrophages for
elimination
Components of the immune System
• The function of T cells is sometimes referred to as cell-mediated
immunity
• Antigen-presenting cell (APCs) such as dendritic cells and
macrophages are critical in initiating the activation of B and T cells
• APCs take up antigens and subject them to proteolytic degradation in
various compartments of the cell in a process called antigen
processing
Components of the immune System
• This process is important because T-cell receptors for antigen
recognize only process antigen displayed on APCs
• B-cell antigen receptors bind directly to antigen
• The peptide antigens are displayed in the peptide-binding groove of
MHC molecules
Active and Passive Immunity
• Active Immunity occurs when the individual plays a direct role in
responding to the antigen eg encounter with a virus
• Passive immunity Immunity is transferred from one individual to
another by transferring immune cells or serum from an immunized
person to unimmunized individual eg antibodies to rabies virus
provided after a dog bite
Phases of an Immune Response
1. Cognitive phase
• When the antigen is recognized
• Antigen encounters a cell bearing a receptor that fits the antigen
• Cell is activated and proliferates
Phases of an Immune Response
2. Activation phase
• More and more of the same clone of cells is produced
• Cells undergo various changes referred to as differentiation, to enable
a response
• Eg a B cell goes through differentiation to become a plasma cell that
synthesizes and secretes large amounts of antibody molecules
Phases of an Immune Response
3. Effector phase
• Various steps take place to down regulate the response once the
antigen is eliminated.

❑The above 3 phases are designed to regulate the response and

prevent it from continuing after the antigen or microbe is neutralized
or eliminated
Types of Immune Response
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3
Examples of Pathogens Mycobacteria (eg TB), Helminths, Arthropods Bacteria (eg
viruses, protozoa Staphylococcus), fungi (eg
Candida)
Innate immune System Interferon, macrophages, Mast Cells, Eosinophils Neutrophils
Components NK cells
Adaptive Immune System THI T cells, Cytotoxic T TH 2 T cells, Ig E TH I 7 T Cells
Components lymphocytes, Ig M, Ig G,
Ig A
Immunopathology Autoimmune disease Allergy Autoimmune disease
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