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Learning Objectives: Humoral Immunity

Reading Assignment: Chapter 7, The Immune System by Parham

Supplementary Materials: Humoral Immunity, Complement, ToolBox

Humoral Immunity deals with the activation of mature resting B cells to become effector plasma cells and memory B cells. This unit describes the signals required to activate B cells and reviews the effector functions of antibodies.

The Learning Objectives pages list the key concepts you should know from each section of the course. You are also expected to know the words bolded in the text. In addition to The Immune System by Parham, study aids include online Tutorials with study questions and a ToolBox containing a Glossary, Reading and Writing About Immunology, and information about immunological techniques.

When you finish Humoral Immunity, you should be able to

Review how a binding signal to a membrane receptor is converted to a chemical signal that alters DNA expression.
Describe the initial encounter of mature naive resting B cells with antigen. Include the location of the first contact and the cells and molecules involved in B cell activation.
Compare and contrast B cell responses to T-independent and T-dependent antigens. Give a specific example of each kind of response
Describe the role of T cells in humoral immunity.
Compare and contrast the roles of follicular DC in B cell activation and of interdigitating DC in T cell activation.
Describe somatic hypermutation and explain how it affects humoral immune responses. Why is there no similar process occurring in TCMI?
Compare and contrast a plasma cell, a naïve B cell, and a memory B cell. Include in your descriptions their membrane receptors, Ig genome structure, and production of antibody.
Compare and contrast the body locations and functions of the five Ig isotypes.
Give specific examples of pathogens for which neutralizing antibody, opsonizing antibody, and complement-activating antibody would provide protective immunity.
Describe Antibody-Dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC) and give two examples of its importance to pathogen removal.
Outline the classical pathway of complement activation. Note similarities and differences between the three pathways. List the functions of complement and briefly describe how and why complement activation is tightly regulated.
Apply this information to a clinical case - be able to predict the humoral response to a bacterial or viral pathogen.

http://microvet.arizona.edu/Courses/MIC419web/LOHumoralImm.html
Written by Janet M. Decker, PhD jdecker@u.arizona.edu
Last modified June 23, 2003