Acquired

Immunity

Submitted by: Tanya

Garg

Group no.: 03011422

ACQUIRED IMMUNITY

The resistance that an individual acquires

during his lifetime is known as ACQUIRED
IMMUNITY.
Acquired Immunity is Antigen Specific.
ACTIVE IMMUNITY

It is the resistance developed by an individual

as a result of antigenic stimulus.
It is also called adaptive immunity.
 This involves the active functioning of the hosts immune
apparatus leading to the synthesis of antibodies and/or the
production of IMMUNOCOMPETENT CELLS (ICC)
Active immunity appears after a LATENT PERIOD/ LAG
PERIOD i.e.,the time required for generation of the
immunological machinery.
 During development of active immunity there is often a
NEGATIVE PHASE during which the level of measurable
immunity may actually be lower than it was before the
antigenic stimulus.
If an individual who has been actively immunised against an
antigen experiences the same antigen subsequently, the
immune response occurs more quickly and abundantly than
during the first encounter.
This is known as SECONDARY RESPONSE.
 This is done by memory cells.
IMMUNOLOGICAL MEMORY
This implies that the immune system is able to retain for
long periods the memory of a prior antigenic exposure and
to produce a secondary type of response when it encounters
the same antigen again.
Once developed active immunity is long lasting and more
effective than passive immunity.
NATURAL ACTIVE
IMMUNITY

This results from either a clinical or subclinical

infection.
This immunity is usually long lasting but the
duration varies with the type of pathogen.
 Chicken Pox Life long
Measles Life long
Influenza Short Lived
Common Cold Short Lived

The immunity following bacterial infection is generally less

permanent than that following viral infections.
 Syphillis CONCOMITANT Immunity
The immunity to reinfection lasts only as long as the original
infection is active.
Once the disease is cured, the patient becomes susceptible
to the spirocheate again.
Chancroid by Haemophilus Ducreyi No effective immunity.
There are chances of reinfection even while the original
infection is active.
ARTIFICIAL ACTIVE
IMMUNITY
It is the resistance induced by vaccines.
Vaccines are preparations of live or killed micro-
organisms or their products used for
immunisation.
o BACTERIAL VACCINES
(a) Live: B.C.G. for Tuberculosis
(b) Killed: Cholera Vaccine
o BACTERIAL PRODUCTS
Tetanus Toxoid
Diptheria Toxoid
o VIRAL VACCINES
(a) Live: Sabin Vaccine for
poliomyelitis
(b) Killed: Salk Vaccines for
poliomyelitis

Influenza Vaccine
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
LIVE VACCINES

These initiate an infection without causing any

injury or disease.
The immunity following live vaccine
administration parallels that following natural
infection though it may be of a low order.
They may be administrated orally or
parenterally.
Strict conditions of storage are required.
KILLED VACCINES

These are generally less immunogenic than live

vaccines and protection lasts only for a short
period.
Therefore they have to be administered
repeatedly.
The first dose is known as the PRIMARY DOSE
and the subsequent doses are known as
BOOSTER DOSES.
 Strict conditions of storage are not
required.
Oral route for killed vaccines is
generally not effective.
Antibody response to killed
vaccines is improved by addition of
adjuvants, for example Aluminium
Phosphate adjuvant vaccine for
cholera.
Passive Immunity

The resistance that is transmitted to recipient in

a readymade form is known as PASSIVE
IMMUNITY.
The protection is effective immediately after
immunisation.
It confers only transient immunity lasting
usually for days or weeks till the antibodies are
metabolized and eliminated.
 Here subsequent administration of
antibodies is less effective due to IMMUNE
ELIMINATION.
Following the first injection of an antibody
such as immune horse serum, the
elimination is only by metabolic
breakdown but during subsequent
injections of horse serum, elimination is
much quicker as it combines with
antibodies to horse serum that would
have been produced following its initial
injection.
The main advantage of passive
immunisation is that it acts immediately
and therefore can be employed when
instant immunity is desired like in case
of protection against tetanus, gas
gangrene and diptheria following
exposure.
NATURAL PASSIVE
IMMUNITY

This is the resistance transferred to

foetus through placenta.
After birth the immunoglobulins are
passed to the newborn through
breastmilk.
Immunoglobulins like IgA & IgG.
It is only by the age of 3 months that
the infant acquires a satisfactory
level of immunological
independence, till then maternal
antibodies give passive protection to
the infant.
 Transport of antibodies across placenta is an
active process, therefore, the concentration of
antibodies in foetal blood may sometimes be
higher than that seen in the mother.
These antibodies are generally against all
common infectious diseases in the locality.
By active immunisation of mother during
pregnancy, the immune status of the neonate
can be improved.
 ARTIFICIAL PASSIVE
IMMUNITY

It is the resistance transferred to a recipient by

the administration of antibodies.
This is done by hyper immune sera of man or
animals.
For example; tetanus antitoxin is prepared in
horse by active immunisation of horse with
tetanus toxoid, bleeding them and separating the
serum.
 They give temporary protection but carry the
disadvantages of hypersensitivity and immune
elimination.
Sera collected from patients covalescing from infectious
diseases contain high level of specific antibodies.
Hence they can be employed for passive immunisation
against viral infection such as measles and rubella.
Placenta also provides a convenient source of human
immunoglobulins.
However with human serum, there is a grave risk of
transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and
hepatitis B, C and D viruses.
Indications of passive
Immunisation
When instant immunity is desired.
Administration of Anti Rh (D) IgG to Rh-negative
mother bearing Rh- positive baby at the time of
delivery to prevent Rh isoimmunisation.
For suppression of autoimmunity.
COMBINED
IMMUNISATION
Combination of active and passive
immunisation is employed.
For eg; a person exposed to tetanus may
be injected tetanus antitoxin on one arm
and tetanus toxoid on the other arm with
separate syringes followed by full course
of tetanus toxoid.
Diptheria antitoxin and diptheria toxoid
can also practiced similarly.