Immunity

Leture 11+12

Course code: Zool-01704

Course Name: Haematology
Department: Zoology
Presented By: Mr. Nabeel Tahir
 Immunity
• The term immunity refers to the body’s specific
protective response to an invading foreign agent or
organism.
• The human body has the ability to resist almost all
types of organisms or toxins that tend to
damage the tissues and organs. This capability
is called immunity.
Types of immunity
2 types
Innate or Native Immunity
Acquired or Adaptive Immunity
 Immunity

Innate Acquired
Immunity Immunity

Non
Specific

Specific Active Passive

Natural Artificial:
Natural Artificial
Vaccines
•Placenta •Immune
•Contact •Killed
•mother’s serum
with •Attenuated
milk
disease •Toxoid
•Recombinant
DNA
E.g.rubella,mump
Natural (Innate immunity)
•Innate immunity:
•Resistance to infection which an individual possesses by virtue of his
genetic and constitutional makeup
•Not affected by prior contact with microorganisms or immunization
a. Non specific :
•Indicate a degree of resistance to infections in general
b. Specific:
•Resistance to a particular pathogen is concerned.
Classifications of Innate immunity

Innate
Immunity

Species Racial Individual

Innate Immunity:
1. Species immunity:
•Resistance to pathogen, shown by all members of a particular species.
•E.g. anthracis infects human beings but not chickens
2. Racial Immunity:
•Within a species, different races may show difference in susceptibility to infections.
•E.g. Genetic resistance Plasmodium falciparum malaria resistance in Africa
3. Individual – immunity
•Resistanceto infection varies with different individuals of
same race and species
•E.g.. Homozygous twins exhibit similar resistance susceptibility to leprosy and
Tuberculosis such correction is not seen in heterozygous twins.
Factors influencing innate immunity
1. Age :
•In foetus immune system is immature, in old age there is gradual waning of immune
system
•E.g. Polio infection , and Chickenpox highly severe in children than adults.
2. Hormonal :
•Enhance susceptibility to infection such as
•E.g. Diabetes mellitus: Staphylococcal sepsis is more common in diabetes ,which may be
caused by increased level of carbohydrates in tissues
• Adrenal dysfunction: Corticosteroids depress host resistance by its anti-inflammatory,
antiphagocytic effects and by inhibiting antibody formation
3. Nutrition
•E.g. Malnutrition predisposes to bacterial infection.
•Both humoral and cell mediated immune responses are reduced in malnutrition.
MECHANISMS OF INNATE IMMUNITY
1. Epithelial surfaces
2. Antibacterial substances in Blood and tissues
3. Cellular factors
4. Inflammation
5. Fever
6. Acute phase proteins
1. Epithelial surfaces
a. Skin:
• Provides mechanical barrier to microorganisms
• Provides bactericidal secretions
• The resident bacterial flora of skin and mucous surfaces prevent colonization by pathogen
• Alteration of normal flora may lead to invasion by extraneous microbes and cause serious
diseases.
• e.g. Clostridial enterocolitis following oral antibiotics.
b. Respiratory tract:
• Respiratory tract is lined by moist musous surfaces which act as trapping mechanism.
• Inhaled particles are arrested in nasal passage on moist mucous membrane surfaces.
• The hair like cilia propels the particles towards pharynx and are swallowed or coughed out.
• Some particles which manage to reach alveoli are ingested by phagocytes
c. Intestinal tract:
• Saliva present in mouth inhibits many microorganisms.
•Acidic ph of gastric juices destroys the swallowed bacteria if any.
• Normal flora of intestine prevent colonization of pathogens.

d. Conjunctiva:
•Tears flush away bacteria and other dust particles
• lysozyme present in tears has bactericidal action.

e. Genitourinary tract:
•Urine eliminate bacteria from urethra by its flushing action.
2. Antibacterial substances in blood and tissues:
• There are no. of antibacterial substances present in blood and tissues
 Beta lysin: relatively thermostable substance active against anthrax

and related bacilli.

 Basic Polypeptide: e.g., leukins and plakins
 Acidic substances: lactic acid present in tissue and infected area
 Interferon : protects against certain acute and viral infections.
3. Cellular factors:
• When infection cross the barrier of epithelial surface, tissue factor come into play
for defense.
• Exudate inflammatory reaction occurs by accumulation of phagocytes at the site of
infection
• Deposition of fibrin which entangles the organisms to act as a barrier to spread of
infection.
• Phagocytic cells ingest these organisms and destroy them.
• Phagocytic cells are classified as:
i. Microphages e.g. polymorphonuclear leucocytes ( neutrophils)
ii. Macrophages e.g. mononuclear phagocytic cells
•Phagocytic action are divided into 4 stages:
i) Chemotaxis:
•Phagocytes reach the site of infection attracted by chemotactic substances
ii) Attachment:
•Infective agent gets attached to phagocytic membrane
iii) Ingestion:
•Phagocytes engulf the infective material into vacuole
•Membrane of phagosome fuses with lysosomes to form a phagolysosome.
iv) Intracellular killing:
•Most bacteria are destroyed by phagolysosomes by hydrolytic enzymes of
lysosomes Natural killer cells play a important role in non specific defence
against viral infections and tumor.
4. Inflammation:
• An important non-specific defense mechanism
• Occurs as a result of tissue injury, initiated by entry of pathogens.
• Leads to vasodilation, increased vascular permeability and cellular
infiltration
• Microorganisms are phagocytosed and destroyed due to increased
vascular permeability, which helps to dilute the toxic products
present.
• Fibrin barrier is laid to wall off the site of infection
5.Fever:
• Rise in temperature following infection is natural defense
mechanism.
• Destroys the infecting organism
• Stimulates the production of interferon, which help in recovery from
viral infections
6. Acute phase proteins:
After injury ,there is sudden increase or decrease in plasma
concentration of certain proteins, collectively called Acute phase
proteins
• E.g. C reactive protein (CRP),Mannose binding proteins etc.
• They activate the alternative pathway of complement (Circulatory
plasma proteins which are made in the liver and activated when an
antibody couples with its antigen, are known as complement)
• Prevent tissue injury and promote repair of inflammatory lesions
Thank
You