Our body's immunity has different means of showing response to pathogens be it virus, bacteria, fungi or parasite by involving the functions of innate and adapted immunity. Some of these pathogens have adopoted means to evade host's immunity system making them survive and cause diseases.
2. Objectives
At the end of this lecture you should be able to
understand:
◼ How the immune system control/eliminate different types
pathogens
◼ Innate and adaptive immune mechanisms against different
groups of pathogens
◼ Different mechanisms where by different groups of
pathogens evade/escape immune system
3. The Immune System
◼ The principal function of the immune system is to
protect the host against pathogenic microbes
4. Pathogens & Disease
◼ Pathogens are defined as microbes capable of causing host
damage
◼ When host damage reaches a certain threshold, it can
manifest itself as a disease
◼ The evolution of an infectious disease in an individual
involves complex interactions between the pathogen and the
host
5. General Features of Immunity to
Pathogens
▪ Defense against pathogens is mediated by both
innate and adaptive immunity
▪ The innate immune response to pathogens plays an
important role in determining the nature of the
adaptive immune response
▪ The immune response is capable of responding in
distinct and specialized ways to different pathogens
in order to combat these infectious agents most
effectively
6. General Features…
▪ The survival and pathogenicity of pathogens in a host
are critically influenced by their ability to evade or resist
protective immunity
◼ Tissue injury and disease are consequence of infections
◼ May be caused by the host response to the pathogen and
its products rather than the pathogen itself
8. Viruses
◼ Obligatory intercellular pathogens
◼ Replicate within cells
◼ Use synthetic machineries of the host cell
◼ Infect a variety of cell populations
9. Immune response
◼ Host defenses against viral infection aim to first slow viral
replication and then eradicate infection
◼ Neutralization of virus
◼ Production of interferons
◼ Destruction of infected cells
10. Innate Immune Response to Viruses
Interferons
Antiviral proteins, or glycoproteins produced by several
types of cells in response to viral
infection
◼ INFα by leucocytes
◼ INFβ by fibroblasts
◼ INFγ by natural killers (NK) cells
11. Innate Immune Response to Viruses…
◼ Viral infection directly stimulates the production of
interferons (INF) eg.IFNα and IFNβ that inhibit viral
replication
◼ Activate genes that interfere with replications
◼ Inteferons also stimulate the production of MHC class I
molecules
◼ Natural killer (NK) cells lyse a wide variety of virally infected
cells
13. Specific Immune Response to Viruses
Humoral mediated immune responses
▪ Most viruses express surface receptor molecules that enable
them to initiate infection by binding to host cell molecules
▪ If antibody is produced to the viral receptor, it can block
infection altogether by preventing binding of viral particles
to host cell
▪ Opsonization enhance phagocytic defenses
14. Specific Immune Response to
Viruses…
◼ IgA in mucus secretions plays an important role in host
defense against viruses by blocking viral attachment to
mucosal epithelial cells
◼ Neutralizing antibodies bind to envelope or capsid proteins
and prevent viral attachment and entry into host cells
◼ IgG appears to be the most active isotype against viruses
15. Specific Immune Response to
Viruses…
◼ Cell-mediated immune responses
◼ Most important in host defense, once a viral
infection is established
◼ CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells are the main
components of cell mediated antiviral defense
◼ Activation of MQ by cytokines produced by Th
cells
17. Tissue Injury
◼ In some cases, infections with non-cytopathic viruses, CTLs
may be responsible for tissue damage to the host
◼ Some viruses are known to contain amino acid sequences
that are also present in host self cells, leading to an immune
response to self components
◼ A persistent infection → circulating immune complexes
composed of viral antigens and specific antibodies →
deposition in the blood vessels → systemic vasculitis
18. Evasion of Immune Mechanisms by Viruses
◼ Viruses have evolved numerous mechanisms for evading
host immunity
◼ Despite their restricted genome size, a number of viruses
have been found to encode proteins that interfere at
various levels with specific or innate host defenses
19. Evasion of Immune Mechanisms by Viruses…
▪ By secreting a protein that binds the c4b complement
component
▪ Inhibiting the classical complement pathway or by
binding to the c3b complement component
▪ Inhibiting both the classical and alternative pathway
20. Evasion of Immune Mechanisms by Viruses…
◼ Viruses can also escape immune attack by changing
their antigens
◼ A large number of viruses evade the immune response
by causing generalized immunosuppression
21. Bacteria
◼ Immunity to bacterial infection is achieved by means of
antibody unless the bacteria are capable of intracellular
growth
◼ Two types of bacteria infection
• Extracellular eg: B.anthracis, H.influenza, Mycoplasma
spp,V.cholerae,S.aureus, S.pyogenes etc.
• Intracellular eg: Ricketsia spp, Mycobacterium spp,
L.pneumophilla,L.monocytogenes,Brucella spp,Shigella
spp etc.
22. Extracellular Bacteria
◼ Replicating outside of the host cells
◼ They cause disease by two principle mechanisms
◼ They induce inflammation.
◼ Many of these bacteria produce toxins
◼ Endotoxins
◼ Exotoxins
◼ The immune responses aimed at
◼ Eliminating the bacteria
◼ Neutralizing the effects of their toxins
23. ◼ Phagocytosis by neutrophils, monocytes, and the tissue
macrophages
◼ Lectin pathway of complement system
◼ Antimicrobial peptides eg: defensins, cathepsins,
cathelecidins and protegrins
◼ Acute phase proteins e.g. C reactive proteins
Innate Immunity Extracellular Bacteria
24. Inflammation following infections induce
production of acute phase proteins from the
liver
◼ Neutrophills, MQ, → IL6,
IL8,TNFα → sepsis
◼ C-reactive protein →
neonatal sepsis
25. Three Types of Effector Mechanisms
◼ IgG antibodies opsonize bacteria and enhance phagocytosis
◼ Antibodies neutralize bacterial toxins
◼ IgM and IgG antibodies activate the complement system
26. ◼ Humoral immunity
◼ Strong IgM responses are caused by polysaccharides
◼ Antibodies i.e. IgM and IgG against
◼ Bacteria surface antigens
◼ Toxins
Specific Immunity to Extracellular Bacteria
27. Tissue Injury
◼ Principal injuries of host responses to extracellular
bacteria are:
◼ Inflammation
◼ Septic shock
29. Evasion of Immune Mechanisms by
Extracellular Bacteria
◼ Genetic variation of the surface antigen is one of the
mechanisms used by bacteria to evade specific
immunity
◼ Inactivate antibodies
◼ Escape phagocytosis
◼ Capsule
◼ The capsule of many gram-negative and gram
positive bacteria contain one or more sialic acid
residues that inhibit complement activation
30. Intracellular Bacteria
◼ Survive and even replicate within phagocytes where they are
inaccessible to circulating antibodies
◼ Elimination requires immune responses different from the
responses against extracellular bacteria
31. Intracellular pathogens exploit distinct
niches within the host cells
Why do pathogens use the intracellular niches?
◼ Protection against humoral immune response
(antibodies, complement)
◼ Abuse of the default uptake by phagocytosis to enter
macrophage
◼ Access to specific nutrients
32. ◼ During the innate immune response to intracellular
bacteria phagocytes ingest and attempt to destroy
◼ Innate immunity is often ineffective in controlling
colonization by and spread of these microorganisms
Innate Immunity to Intracellular
Bacteria
33. Innate Immunity to Intracellular
Bacteria…
◼ NK cells produce IFN-γ, which in turn activates macrophages
and promotes killing of phagocytosed bacteria
◼ NK cell provide an early defense against intracellular
bacteria, prior to the development of specific immunity
34. Innate Immunity to Intracellular Bacteria…
◼ Intracellular bacteria are resistant to degradation within
phagocytes
◼ Intracellular bacteria also activate NK cells, either directly
or by stimulating macrophages production of IL-12, a
powerful NK cell – activating cytokine
35. Specific Immunity to Intracellular
Bacteria
◼ Cell-mediated immunity
◼ There are two types of cell-mediated reactions:
◼ Killing of phagocytosed intracellular bacteria as a result of
macrophage activation by T cell – derived cytokines,
particularly IFN-y
◼ Lysis of infected cells by CTLs
36. Tissue Injury
◼ Tissue damage can be caused by macrophage
activation that occurs in response to intracellular
bacteria
◼ The macrophages and other immune components such
as neutrophills, fibroblasts, collagen may accumulate
and results in the formation of a granuloma
38. Evasion of Immune Mechanisms by
Intracellular Bacteria
◼ Intracellular bacteria’s ability to resist elimination by
phagocytes is an important mechanism for survival
and evasion of the immune response
◼ Some intracellular bacteria do this by:
◼ inhibiting phagolysosome fusion
◼ while others escape from phagosome
41. Fungi
◼ Fungal infections are eukaryotes that tend to cause
serious infections primarily in individuals with impaired
immunity
42. ◼ The principal mediator of innate immunity against
fungi is the neutrophills
◼ Neutrophils liberate fungicidal substances, such as
reactive oxygen species and lysosome enzymes
◼ They also phagocytose fungi for intracellular killing
◼ Lectin pathway of complement system
Innate Immunity to Fungi
43. Specific Immunity to Fungi
◼ Cell-mediated specific immunity is the major defense
against fungal infections
◼ Fungi that are intracellular are eliminated by the same
cellular mechanisms that are effective against
intracellular bacteria
44. Evasion of Immune Mechanisms by Fungi
◼ Since individuals with healthy immune systems are not
susceptible to opportunistic fungal infections, very
little is known about the ability of fungi to evade host
immunity
45. Parasites
Features of parasitic diseases
◼ In infectious disease terminology, “parasitic infection”
refers to infection with animal parasites, such as protozoa,
helminthes, and ectoparasites
▪ 30% of the world population suffer from parasitic diseases
▪ Malaria affects >100m people worldwide & responsible for
about 1-2m deaths annually
46. Parasites…
▪ Most pathogens go through complex life cycles (human &
other vertebrates, intermediate hosts e.g. flies, ticks snails
etc)
▪ Humans are only part of the complex life cycle of parasites
47. ◼ Most of parasites cause chronic infections because of
weak innate immunity & ability of parasites to evade &
resist adaptive immune responses
◼ Parasites in human host are usually resistant to
complement
◼ Macrophages can phagocytose protozoa, but the
tegument of helminthic parasites makes them resistant
to the cytocidal effects of both neutrophils and
macrophages
Innate Immunity to parasites
48. Innate Immunity Parasites
▪ Phagocytes secrete microbiacidal substances to kill
microbes that are too large to be phagocytosed
▪ Most of protozoa resist phagocytosis & some replicate
within phagocytes
▪ Some secrete surface molecules that are recognized by
TLR’s
49. Specific Immunity to Parasites
◼ Different parasites elicit quite distinct specific immune
responses
◼ Cell-mediated immunity is the principal defense against
protozoa that survive within macrophages
◼ Protozoa that replicate inside cells and lyse host cells
stimulate specific CTL responses, similar to cytopathic
viruses
◼ IgE antibodies and eosinophils mediate defense against
many helminthic infections
50. Tissue Injury
◼ Tissue injury can be caused when parasites deposited in the
liver stimulate CD4+ T cells
◼ Cause macrophages to activate and induce DTH
reactions
◼ Resulting in the formation of granulomas
53. Immune response to malaria
▪ Complex and stage specific
▪ Immunization with antigens from particular stage protects only
vs that particular stage
▪ CD4+ T cells act as effector cells to pre erythrocytic stages
▪ CD8+ T cells play key role in hepatic stages (pre erythrocytic
stages)
▪ Direct by killing sporozoites infected hepatocytes
▪ Indirect by secretion of IFNγ & activation of hepatocytes that
produce nitric oxide & other agents that kill parasites
▪ CD8 responses also requires cross presentation from dendritic cells
Cellular immunity to blood stages: Dc’s MØ, T cells→cytokines
54. Antigens produced in different stages
Stages Surface antigens Secreted antigens
Sporozoites Circumsporozoites (CSP) Thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP)
Liver stages Liver stage antigen 1 (LSA-1)
Merozoites Merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1)
Merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP2)
Merozoite surface protein 4 (MSP4)
Rhoptry-associated protein-1 (RAP-1)
Apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA-1)
Erythrocyte binding antigen-175 (EBA-175)
Serine rich antigen (SERA)
Infected RBC Erythrocyte membrane protein 1
(PfEMP1)
Gametocytes Pfs 230
Pfs 48/45
Gametes Pfg25/27
55. Immune evasion mechanisms
▪ Antigenic variation →difficulties in vaccine development
▪ Sexual blood stages of malaria is an important target for
vaccine development
▪ Antibody responses to circumsporozoite is T helper cells
dependent
56.
57. Toxoplasmosis
▪ Caused by protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii
▪ Natural (definitive) hosts: cats & other felines but can infect
all worm blooded animals & some cold blooded animals
▪ Human –accidental host
▪ Infection is asymptomatic in most cases & glandular fever
sometimes, encephalitis & disseminated infection in
HIV/AIDS patients
58.
59.
60. Immunity to T.gondii
▪ Free tachyzoites recognised by TLRs
▪ IgM binds to tachyzoites & prevent cell invasion
▪ Triggers Th1 type responses eg IL-12 production
▪ Powerful immune response→slows down but not inhibiting
multiplication (bradyzoites)→dormant cyst
▪ Strong Th1 responses →inflanmatory cytokines that may
cause potential damage to the host cells eg brain & eyes
▪ Counter inflamatory effects TGFβ & IL-10
61. Immune evasion by T.gondii
◼ Infect all nucleated cells including MØ
◼ Inside MØ they form parasitophorous vacuole & multiply by
binary fission
◼ Survive by subverting normal protective mechanisms
◼ Inhibits expression of MHC class I & II
◼ Inhibits production of NO, TNF & IL-12
◼ Inhibits internal cell signals NFкB etc
62. Immunity to trypanasomes
▪ African trypanosomiasis
T.brucei rhodensience
T .brucei gambience
▪ Flagellated unicellular protozoa causing African sleeping
sickness in humans
▪ Transmitted by tsetse flies (Glossina spp) between humans
and wide range of mammals
▪ T.cruzi (intracellular parasite)common in USA – chagas
disease
63. Immune evasion by Trypanasome spp
▪ Antigenic variation i.e variant surface glycoprotein (VSG)
by different mechanisms i.e DNA rearrangement such as
segmental gene conversion, telomere exchange, insitu
switch etc.
▪ T brucei genome have at least 1250-1500 VSG genes
▪ Antibodies produced in response to one VSG is not
protective vs new VSG
64. T.cruzi
◼ Intracellular, cause chagas disease
▪ Innate recognition TLR’s 2 and 9 & other TLR’s
▪ Innate cells i.e. MØ & DC’s, NK, NKT cells
▪ Produce TGFβ homologies
▪ CD8+ T cells via MHC associated peptide epitopes
▪ IL-12 & typeI interferons & other pro inflamatory cytokines
▪ Invade host immune system by inhibiting complement mediated
killing by enzymes cleaving complement or production of
complement inhibitors
▪ Express a molecule that prevents assembly of the complement
cascade
65. Immunity to helminths
◼ > 2 billion people are infected with helmiths
◼ Predominance of Th2 immune responses
◼ IL17E promote Th2 cell expansion & parasite expulsion
◼ IL-4,IL5,IL-9, IL-13,IL-21 produced by Th2 cells, eosinophills,
mast cells, basophills etc.
66. Immunity to helminths…
◼ Secretion of IgE by plasma cells
◼ In S.mansonii infection Th1 responses target large parasites &
later Th2 response mediate granuloma formation in
response to egg antigens
◼ Eosinophills, MQ, lymphocytes, fibroblasts
67. Immune evasion
◼ Some worms secretes certain protein that block immune cells
functions eg .hydatid cysts of E.granulosus produce proteases
that downregulate Th2 functions
◼ Encodes homologies of TGFβ & IL-10 by S. mansoni eggs
◼ Antigen unresponsiveness by T cells induced by some parasites eg
B.malayi infection & S.mansoni
68. Immune evasion…
◼ T.solium produces paramyosin that blocks assembly of the
complement cascade
◼ Trichinella spiralis transform muscle cell to a specialized
nurse cell
◼ Degradation of host chemokines by proteses
69. General Immune evasion mechanisms by
Parasites
◼ Some parasites survive and replicate inside cells
◼ Others develop cysts that are resistant to immune responses
◼ Helminthic parasites can reside in intestinal lumens and are
sheltered from cell-mediated immune responses
◼ Antigen masking is an effective form of immune response evasion
by some parasites
◼ Avoid MAC by extending surface proteins e.g. Leishmania spp
70. General Immune evasion mechanisms by
Parasites…
◼ Parasites can develop a tegument that is resistant to
damage by antibodies and complement or CTLs
◼ Some parasites have mechanisms for surface antigen
variation
◼ There are two forms of antigenic variation:
◼ Stage specific
◼ Continuous variation of major surface antigens
71. Conclusion
▪ If pathogens are able to breach the innate immune system,
the specific/adaptive immune system is capable of defending
the host against infection by means of humoral and/or cell-
mediated immune response
▪ The immune responses to infectious disease are an efficient
and effective mechanism against the bombardment of
pathogens we face everyday
72. Recap
◼ Understand how the immune system control/eliminate
different types pathogen
◼ Understand innate and adaptive immune mechanisms
against different groups of pathogens
◼ Understand different mechanisms where by different
groups of pathogens evade/escape immune system