immunizations and Human Immune Disorders

• Active immunity:

  • Body defends against invading pathogens which trigger primary/secondary response

  Passive immunity:

  • Antibodies are transferred from an immune individual to a non-immune individual
  • Ex. Maternal-fetal antibody transfer

  - Placental circulation, breastmilk

  • Transferred antibodies last only a few weeks/months
• Artificial active immunity

  • Smallpox disease in 1970s completely eradicated after massive vaccination in children & infants
  • Global decrease in fatal diseases

  - Polio, measles, whooping cough

  • Difficulties:

  - Lack of economic resources

  - Misinformation & fake news
• Artificial passive immunity

  • Acquired when antibodies from immune animal are injected & transferred to a non-immune animal
  • Serum – mixture with antibodies

  --> Injected to a non-immune

  --> Limited time effect

  --> Ex. Tetanus & botulinum – treated by injecting infected person with antitoxin from immune horses

  --> Antivenin – from immune horses & sheep

  - Treat bites from venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions
• Acquired Immunity

  A) Active

  B) passive

  C) serum

  D) mother To baby

  E) Vaccination

  F) infection

  
• 1. Allergy

  • hypersensitive responses to certain allergens (pollen, dairy, peanuts, etc.)

  • Antihistamines block histamine & prevent it from affecting different cells

  • Anaphylactic shock – massive release of histamines -->

  dilation of blood vessels & constriction of bronchioles --> lower blood pressure --> hard to breathe.
• 2. Autoimmune disease

  • Immune system active against particular molecules of body due to lack of self-tolerance

  • Lupus- Body produces antibodies which bind to histones & DNA --> skin rashes, fever, kidney dysfunction
• 3. Inborn immunodeficiency disease

  • Genetic/developmental defect in the production of antibodies --> prone to infection

  • Treated by bone marrow transplant & stem cell

  therapy
• 4. Acquired immunodeficiency disease

  • Defective/absent immune response due to exposure to chemical & biological agents
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) due to HIV

  • HIV NOT transmitted thru saliva but thru exchange of certain body fluids (blood, semen, rectal, vaginal, breast milk)

  • HIV attacks helper T cells --> no production of antibodies & cytotoxic T cells for HIV --> body becomes susceptible to other pathogens (respiratory tract infection, cancer)