University of Baghdad

College of Medicine
2024-2025

Title: Introduction to the immune system Part 1

Grade:3
Module: ImD
Speaker:Dr mohammed al ani
Date:21/1/2025
 Immunology and the Immune
System
professor Dr. Mohammed Marrof al ani
M.B.Ch.B; M.Sc; FICM/Path
Dept. of Microbiology/College of Medicine/Baghdad University
Introduction to Immunology and the Immune System
Objectives

1-Define immunity
2-Explain the components of the Innate (non-
specific) immune system & the Adaptive
(specific) immune system
3-List the characteristics of innate & adaptive
immunity
4-Summarize the main differences between
active & passive immunity
5-Discuss the meaning of antigen &immunogen
6- List & Explain the criteria of immunogenicity
7-Discuss the Epitope
8-Define the Adjuvant , Hapten ,APC,&
complement system
Immunology
• IMMUNITY
- State of increase resistance to
disease
- The sum of all naturally occurring
defense mechanisms to protect
human from infectious agents and
their products
Defensive Mechanisms include:

1- Innate immunity (Natural or Non-Specific)

2- Acquired immunity ( Adaptive or Specific )

 Innate immunity
1- Mechanical Barriers
2- Humoral (Chemical) Barriers
Complement components-----(Lytic) System
Complex series of plasma proteins (C1-C9).
 Pathways of complement
activation
CLASSICAL LECTIN ALTERNATIVE
PATHWAY PATHWAY PATHWAY

antibody
antibody independent
dependent

Activation of C3 and
generation of C5 convertase

activation
of C5

LYTIC ATTACK
PATHWAY
Opsonization and phagocytosis
Biological effects of C5a
 Components of the Classical
Pathway

C1r
C1s

Ca++
C1q

C2 C3 C4

C1 complex
 Classical Pathway
Generation of C3-convertase

C4a C1r
C1s

Ca++

b
C4
C1q
 Classical Pathway
Generation of C3-convertase

C4a C1r
C1s C2a
a
Ca++
C2
C1q
_____
Mg++ C4b2b is C3 convertase

C4b C2 b
 Classical Pathway
Generation of C5-convertase

C4a C1r C3a

C1s C2a

Ca++ ________
C4b2b3b is C5 convertase;
C1q
it leads into the Membrane
Mg++ Attack Pathway

C3 b
C4b C2b
Lytic pathway
C5-activation

C5a

C5 b

C3b
C4b C2 b
 Components of the lytic pathway

C7
C6
C5

C8

C
9
 Lytic pathway:
insertion of lytic complex into cell membrane

C6

C8 C7 b
C5

C C
9 9 9 C
C 9
C
9 C
9
C
9 C C
9 9
 Control of Classical Pathway Components

Component Regulation

All C1-inhibitor (C1-INH); dissociates C1r and C1s from

C1q
Product Biological Effects Regulation
C2a (prokinin) edema C1-INH

24
 C1qrs breakdown

C1r
C1s
C1Inh

C1q
C1r
C1s
C1-inhibitor deficiency:
hereditary angioedema
 Complement Deficiencies and Disease
Classical Pathway

Pathway Component Disease Mechanism

C1INH Hereditary Overproduction of C2a

Angioedema (prokinin)

C1, C2, C3, C4 Predisposition Opsonization of immune

to SLE complexes help keep
them soluble, deficiency
results in increased
precipitation in tissues
and inflammation

27
 Complement Deficiencies and Disease
Alternative Pathway

Pathway/Component Disease Mechanism

Factors B or D Susceptibility Lack of sufficient

to pyogenic opsonization of bacteria
(pus-forming)
bacterial
infections
C3 Susceptibility Lack of opsonization and
to bacterial inability to utilize the
infections & membrane attack pathway
SLE
C5, C6, C7 C8, or Susceptibility Inability to attack the outer
C9 to Gram- membrane of Gram-
negative negative bacteria
infections 28
• Interferons (IFN) :
proteins that are not anti-viral by themselves,
but induce an anti-viral state in uninfected cells.

-Types of interferons:
1- Alpha-IFN-----Secreted by Macrophages(viral
infected cell)
2- Beta-IFN------Secreted by Fibroblasts
3- Gamma-IFN—Secreted by T-lymphocytes
Protective action of Interferons:
1- Anti viral proteins
2- Enhancing T- cell activity
3- Activating Macrophages
4- Increasing the cytotoxic action of Natural
Killer cells (NK).
5- Enhancing the expression of MHC molecules
on cell membrane.
3- Cellular Barriers:
A- Phagocytes
Specialized cells for capture, Ingestion and destruction of invading
microorganisms
• Polymorphoniclear leucocytes, mainly neutrophils:
granulocytes circulate in blood
• Mononuclear cells
- Monocytes in blood------- Macrophages in tissue
- Histocytes in connective tissues
-Kupffer in liver
- Splenocytes in spleen
ANTIGEN PRESENTIG CELL(APC)
• Monocyte in the blood(1-6% of WBC) circulate
for 3 days Tissue as a Macrophage
Like alveolar cell,kupffer cell in the liver & glail
cell in the Brain where they live for months &
when activated they become APC where they
have B7 molecule & Class II MHC
Activation by phagocytosis, Gamma-interferon &
cytokines from T helper cells as IL2,IL12
While IL 8 is a chemotactic
 APC
Include(any cell have B7 mol.& class II MHC)
• Dendritic cells
• Inter-digitating cells
• B lymphocytes
• Macrophages
• Langerhans cell
They process the Ag & present it to T lymphocytes
with class I for CD8+ cells or Class II for CD4+
cells
Also they deliver B7 Mol. To react with CD28 on T
helper cells
B- Natural killer (NK)

Definition: Large granular lymphocytes

Innate cytotoxic lymphocytes
Source : Bon marrow precursors
Location : 10% or 15% of lymphocytes in peripheral blood
1% or 2% of lymphocytes in spleen
Tumor cells (immune surveillance)
Function : Cytotoxic for Viral infected cells
Bacterial, fungal, parasitic infection
Responsible for antibody–dependent cell
mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)
Characteristics of Innate immunity

• Pre-exist
• Non adaptive
• Non specific
• No Memory
Acquired (Adaptive) Immunity
• Adaptive (Specific) immunity is capable of
Recognizing & Selectively eliminating of
foreign microorganisms ,cells & molecules.

• TWO Interrelated & Interdependent

Mechanisms:
1- Humoral Immunity
- (antibody mediated response)
- B-cells (Bone marrow derived)
2- Cellular Immunity
- (cell mediated immunity)
- T-cells (Thymus-derived)
 Active acquired immunity
a-Natural active acquired immunity :

- Following clinical or subclinical infections

Ex. measles or mumps, in which immunity is

long lasting

b- Artificial active acquired immunity :

- Following vaccination with live or killed

infectious agents or their products
Passive acquired immunity

a-Naturally passive acquired immunity

Antibodies are passed through placenta
to the fetus (IgG),IgA Breast milk

b- Artificially passive acquired immunity

The injection of already prepared antibodies,
such as gamma globulin ,antitoxin
Acquired immunities are not always
protective
Immune Response:
• Inappropriate------ Allergy (e.g. Hay fever)
• Directed against body’s own constituents---
Autoimmune diseases (e.g. SLE, Rh. Arthritis)
Characteristics of Adaptive Immunity
1- Ability to distinguish self from foreign
2- Antigenic specificity
3- Immunologic memory
Primary & secondary immune response
4- Diversity
The human immune system is capable of
producing a vast number of different antibody
molecules, each with its own specificities.
SUMMARY
• The immune system has TWO arms, innate &
adaptive.
• The innate arm is a barrier system consisting of
Mechanical, Humoral, cellular, &physiological
components.
• The innate arm is present intrinsically, has limited
specificity & diversity, & is not enhanced by
repeated exposure.
• The adaptive arm consists of T & B lymphocytes &
antigen presenting cells.
• Adaptive immune responses are specific, diverse,
self-limiting, capable of self versus non-self
recognition, & display memory.

• The innate & adaptive arms interact with &

augment each other through soluble substances
such as complements, antibodies, & cytokines.

• An antigen or immunogen is a substance capable of

activating or generating an immune response.

• To be immunogenic, a substance must be

recognized as foreign & have chemical complexity
& sufficient size.
• The portion of antigen that fit into an antigen
receptor is called Epitope or Antigenic
determinant.

• Haptens are single antigenic determinants that can

only generate immune responses if they are linked
to larger carrier proteins.

• Adjuvants increase immunogenicity non-

specifically.
THANK YOU