Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 2

ACQUIRED IMMUNITY.

(A LECTURE DELIVER BY THE H.O.D MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY


UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI TEACHING HOSPITAL)
Dr,S.B.ZAILANI.
Acquired immunity is more specialized than innate
immunity, and it supplements the protection provided by innate. Acquired immunity
came into play relatively late. The various elements that participate in innate immunity do
not exhibit specificity against the foreign agents they encounter; in contrast, acquired
immunity always exhibits such specificity. As its name implies, acquired immunity is a
consequence of an encounter with a foreign substance. The first encounter with a foreign
substance that has penetrated the body triggers a chain of events that induces an immune
response with specificity against that foreign substance. Thus, acquired immunity
develops only after exposure to, or immunization with a given substance.
There are two major types of cells that participate in
acquired immunity:
B-lymphocyte (b/c it differentiate in the bone marrow)
T-lymphocytes (differentiation is in the thymus).

B-lymphocytes synthesize and secrete into the blood stream antibodies with
specificity against the foreign substance. This is termed HUMORAL IMMUNITY.
T-lymphocytes, which also exhibit specificity
against foreign substance by virtue of their receptors, do not make antibodies, but they
themselves seek out invader to provide their effects. T-lymphocytes also interact with B-
cells and “help” the later make antibodies; they activate macrophages, and they have a
central role in the development and regulation of acquired immunity. Acquired immunity
regulated by T-lymphocytes is termed cellular immunity or, cell mediated immunity.

IMMUNILOGICAL MEMORY
Memory cells may be either T-cell or, B-cells and are probably variants within the
original clone having recognition sites with higher specific affinity for the relevant
antigenic determinant and thus, greater immunological efficiency. In consequence, the
response to a second encounter with an antigen is more rapid than the first and
quantitatively greater in its effect. It is referred to as secondary response in contrast to the
initial primary response. Memory cells and the secondary response phenomenon account
for the prolonged or, lifetime immunity that follows many infections (such as measles),
and the secondary response is exploited in scheduling doses of various vaccines to obtain
the maximum and most long – lived immunity.

Primary and Secondary immunological responses: The response to first


inoculation of antigen becomes apparent in a week to ten days. It is small, predominantly
of IgM and decline rapidly. Activation of memory cells by a secondary inoculation leads
to a much greater, more rapid, and mire long-lived IgG response.
THE T-CELL RESPONSE
The major roles of T-cells in the immune response are as follows:
i. Recognition of epitopes presented with MHC molecules on cell surfaces.
This is followed by activation and clonal expansion of T-cells in the case
of epitopes associated with class II MHC molecules.
ii. Production of peptides termed lymphokines that act as intercellular
signals and mediate the activation and modulation of various aspects of
the immune response and of non-specific host defense.
iii. The direct killing of foreign cells, of host cells, bearing foreign surface
antigens along with class I MHC molecules (e.g. Some virally infected
cells), and some immunologically recognized tumour cells.

THE B-CELL AND ANTIBODY RESPONSES.

B – Lymphocytes are the cells responsible for antibody responses.


Humoral or, antibody mediated immunity present in all body fluids and is the function of
B-lymphocytes. Antibody immunity plays an important role in providing protection
against disease.
Antibodies are specific proteins of the globin class, which are termed
immunoglobulins. There are five broad classes (isotypes) of antibody, thus, IgG, IgM,
IgA, IgE and IgD.

Вам также может понравиться