ADP20306 Summary Immunology (2023) (24h planned)
Disclaimer: times are based on how long it was scheduled on campus, looking at the material for the first time will
take around the same hours, studying the summary itself will take less. This is a thorough summary, including
lectures and practicals, but not the book
QUIZLET Immunology
Find Latin word origin for when knowing difficult latin words etc.: google: (word) + etymology
Search in the document (CTRL+F) for EXAMQ or EXAMQOPEN for things that are asked on exam for immunology, or
highlights.
For the immunology part of this course, the textbook ‘Days Veterinary Immunology: Principles and Practice’, Third
edition 2023, ISBN 978-1-032-31717-5 https://www.routledge.com
YuJa classes: https://wur.yuja.com/P/VideoManagement/MediaLibrary/MediaChannel/43464
Repetition YT immuno: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqTetbgey0ac_tvd5WeTOYqUPECW4NmnY
Immunology
Tips: look back lectures, make all practice exams and study with the summary next to it.
Lectures (11x, 16h)
L1: Introduction AL – Nov 1 (1h)
Immunology: book Days Vet. Immunol.: Chapter 1
L1 College + Learning goals
Immunology: Study on cells, tissues/organs and molecules involved in the recognition, inactivation, removal of and
protection to foreign (non-self) or dangerous (including self) materials. Performed on the population, animal, cell,
and molecular level.
When self and non-self is not distinguished the body will ‘attack’ itself.
- understands the importance of the immune system
Why (veterinary) immunology important?
Feed, policy, everywhere immune system plays a role
- An animal right: Health and welfare (Freedom of disease)
- Lower medical costs and healthy population (mastitis etc.)
- Longevity
- Optimal production
- Rationale behind immune modulating feed additives
- Animals and man share many immune features (pigs for human health)
Another reason to study the immune system: zoonoses
- 60-75% of infectious diseases of humans are from animal origin! ----- (Zoonoses)
- Livestock kept near cities (risk)???
- Consumption of, or contact with wild/bush animals: ZIKA, SARS, CORONA
- A large part of our DNA is of viral origin (proviral DNA)
- There is an intricate relationship between our intestinal microbiota and the immune system
- Risk for microbe resistance transferred from animal to man and vice versa
Want healthy animal population to have less zoonotic diseases
One Health concept
▪ One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably
balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.
https://youtu.be/_jBpv9fYSU4?si=vQ1-7BzzNEQl55ks
Pathogens infect and replicate at different locations
- Epithelial surface
- Vesicular
, - Extracellular
- Cytoplasmic
When pathogen is intracellular it is ‘protected’ against
immunoglobulin (antibodies)
What are the 4 principles of immunity?
1. The ability to detect and fight off infection
2. The ability to recognize a host's own cells as "self," thereby
protecting them from attack
3. A (specific) memory from previous foreign infections (basis
vaccination)
4. The ability to limit the response after the pathogen has been
removed. Otherwise, inflammation will always occur which costs
lots of energy
The military analogy
- knows the characteristics of innate and
adaptive immunity (EXAMQ)
- can define immunological specificity and
memory
Innate and Adaptive immunity
Two types of immunity (historically evolved)
Innate (natural) immune system Adaptive immune system
- Nonspecific - Specific response
- Immediate response - Slow response (Lag time)
- Retains no immunological memory - Retains immunological memory
- Found in nearly all forms of life - Found only in jawed vertebrates
(you are born with this)
➔ Innate and adaptive immunity are linked --> through dendritic cells
Antigen presenting cells
Innate immunity: functions (EXAMQ)
, - Prevention of infection
- Degradation of microbes
- First line of defence, gaining time (acts rapidly)
- Activation of specific immunity (very important role!)
- Effector of specific immunity
- No specific memory, but ‘training’
- Always present
Training: making body cells more tolerant or active, remain for up to 1 year, non-specific, also to non-related
pathogens
Innate immunity components:
- Physiological and anatomical barriers (intact skin, integrity of intestinal lining…)
- (Innate) white blood cells
- Innate receptors: TLR, RIG, NOD
- Complement system (proteins that are important in inflammation and opsonization(better recognition for
macrophages))
- Antimicrobial products: defensins, lysozyme, α and β, interferons, and many more
- Acute Phase Proteins
First line of defence: Innate host barriers
Specific/adaptive immunity (EXAMQOPENx2)
▪ Self-acquired: active adaptation due to
o Infection
o Active vaccination
o Experimental: sensitization in vivo
o Memory
▪ Passively acquired by
o Passive vaccination (donor serum)
o Maternal immunity: milk, intra-uterine
o No memory! --> short period of time
B&T cells & proteins & activation
, Most babies and young children in the Netherlands are actively immunized (vaccinated) with DKT(P), BMR,
meningitis. Memory cells should be formed so faster response against an antigen is possible.
Before birth all human babies are passively immunized (vaccinate) in the uterus by their mother!
Maternal IgG antibodies transfer through uterine wall: passive vaccination! As a consequence, protection: e.g., to
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) calves get no antibodies during pregnancy but only in colostrum, the same for
piglets. For example, rabbits and rats do get antibodies during pregnancy.
Many neonates are also passively vaccinated (IgG and IgA antibodies) by breast feeding.
Ergo: the immunological experience of the mother is transferred to the offspring! (through breast feeding immune
information is transferred to the offspring)
Many humans, both children and the elderly, are passively vaccinated for acute protection to lethal toxins using
sera (anti-poison antibodies) from e.g., horses, Snake- and insect/spider poisons, Rabies, Tetanus, Corona
(experimental status), Cancers (----Ab)
Warning: Immunity is not always equivalent to (biologically) relevant protective disease resistance!
Autoimmunity, sometimes activation of immune system enhances the disease (HIV)
Is immunity always good?
▪ Protective (EXAMQx3: know difference)
● Concomitant (accompanying): (live!) pathogen remains present and active (helps to maintain
memory!): herpes viruses, worms (pathogen is not completely removed, but this presence prevents
new infection (often the case in parasites)
● Sterilizing: pathogen completely removed (immune system thus also goes down so vulnerable for re-
infection)
● Modulating(regulate): live pathogen present but inactivated
▪ Counter-protective
● Enhancement of pathogen (HIV)
● Irrelevant: wrong type of response (occurs for lot of parasites because they move)
● Harmful:
● Pathology/inflammation
● Hypersensitivity
● Autoimmunity
Concomitant and modulating immunity: Trichinella spiralis (hairworm) larvae in muscular tissue (tongue) prevent
new T. spiralis infections, and maintain memory
- Can explain the concept of self/ non-self-recognition
Able to distinguish between self and non-self --> otherwise attack own cells, leads to enormous damage.
Immune system not well regulated: autoimmunity
The concept of self/non-self-recognition is a fundamental aspect of an organism's ability to distinguish its own
components (self) from foreign or external components (non-self).
