Leukocyte Activation
►Activation
the increase in leukocyte biochemical activity as
it prepares for battle
Leukocyte Activation
►Increased movement
Function of cellular skeleton
►Increase in Adhesion molecules
Expression
Increased avidity
►Degranulation, secretion of lysosomal enzymes, and
oxidative burst
►Production of inflammatory mediators
Arachadonic acid metabolites
Secretion of cytokines
Leukocyte Killing Mechanisms
►Killing (bactericidal) mechanisms, granule contents
►1) Neutral proteases
a) elastase: effective against gram-positive bacteria
b) cathepsin G: in presence of elatase effective against both gram-
positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi
c) lysozyme: attacks bacterial cell walls, most effective against gram-
positive bacteria (FYI attacks muramic acid-N-acetylglucosamine)
d) Bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI): also has
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding and neutralizing properties
►2) Defensins: small antimicrobial peptides with broad
spectrum activity against bacteria, fungi, and some
enveloped viruses
►3) Lactoferrin: glycoprotein that binds iron making it
unavailable to the bacteria
►4) Nramp1(natural resistance-associated macrophage
protein 1): transporter protein which acts as an iron pump.
Associated with the membrane of the phagolysosome and
depletes the interior of iron. It also affects pH of the
phagolysosome.
Leukocyte Killing Mechanisms
►1) Respiratory burst of phagocytosis
Rapid 2-to 4-fold increase in oxygen consumption in
PMN and increase in glucose metabolism
Formation of superoxide (O
2
-
) on membrane of
phagolysosome through action of membrane bound
NADPH oxidase and cytochrome bfrom specific and
tertiary granules
Superoxide charge partially neutralized by large K
+
influx resulting in alkalinization (pH 7.8-8.0) and
hypertonicity
Liberates cationic proteases from the negatively charged
matrix of the granules
Leukocyte Killing
►Oxygen dependent ?killing?
Probably not important in PMN phagosome, may
be important extracellularly and in mF
Generation of superoxide anion by NADPH
oxidase
►O
2
+ e
-
O
2
-
NO + superoxideperoxynitrite
►Is essential for mFkilling of intracellular organisms
Leukocyte killing
►O
2 dependent ?killing?
Superoxide converts to other reactive species
►O
2
-
+ e
-
+ 2H
+
H
2
O
2
(SO dismutase/spontaneous)
Myeloperoxidase-halide system (PMN)
►Important to scavenge H
2
O
2
to prevent protease inactivation,
not for direct intracellular killing
►H
2
O
2
+ Cl
-
HOCl + H
2
O
Kill via membrane, DNA, protein peroxidation (limited by
free-radical scavengers)
►Digestive enzymes:
acid hydrolases, etc. come in later to finish degrading
dead bacteria and debris
Leukocyte Killing Mechanisms
Collateral Damage
►Loss of leukocyte products into the extracellular
matrix
►Cytotoxic release (lysosomal suicide)
cell ruptures and releases contents to environment
neutrophils, eosinophils
major cause of tissue damage in purulent exudates
does not occur with apoptosis
►Granule release
release of granules into environment
neutrophils, eosinophils
important with eosinophilic inflammationcollagen
necrosis
Leukocyte Killing Mechanisms
►Frustrated phagocytosis
seen with large objects (ag-ab complexes in basement
membranes, nematodes)
Neutrophils, eosinophils
probably major cause of chronic damage with
autoimmune diseases
►Regurgitation
leakage during phagocytosis as channel to surface
remains partly open
probably common but minor leakage source
macrophages, neutrophils
Inhibition of tissue damage
►1) Antiproteinases
a) a2-macroglobulin: produced in liver and circulates in
plasma. Inhibits all classes of leukocyte proteinases
b) serine proteinase inhibitors: also from plasma
c) tissue inhibitors of MMPs: synthesized by leukocytes
and connective tissue cells
d) a1-antitrypsin: major inhibitor of neutrophil elastase
►2) antioxidants
Vitamin E, glutathione/glutathione peroxidase (Se),
superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate, and
ceruloplasmin
Mechanisms of bacterial escape
►Protective coating (capsules)
Inhibit opsonization and phagocytosis
Protect against phagolysosomal killing
►Escape from phagosome into cytoplasm
►Prevention of phagosome/lysosome fusion
►Kill/lyse the leukocyte (leukotoxins and
cytotoxins)
Chemical Mediators of
Inflammation
Leukocyte defects
►Leukocyte adhesion deficiency-Cattle and
Dogs
Lack functional integrins on leukocytes
Predisposed to serious bacterial infections
►Chediak-Higashi syndrome-Cats, mink,
mice, whales, cattle
Abnormal giant lysosomal granules
Neutropenia and recurrent pyogenic infections
Vasoactive Amines
►Source -Mast cells, platelets
release with antigen stimulation, endothelial damage,
mast cell activation
Preformed and stored in granules
►Function
vasodilation and leakage (endothelial retraction)
bronchoconstriction
►Clinically
acute allergic responses
heat, cold, other physical reactions
Vasoactive Amines
►Histamine
Primary source is mast cells
Numerous stimuli
►Endogenous: cross-linked IgE/Ag, complement
fragments, cytokines
►Exogenous: thermal or physical injury
Histaminase is specific inactivator
►Serotonin
Primarily from platelets
Most commonly released when platelets
aggregate
Monoamine oxidase inactivation
Kinin System
Kinin System
►Bradykinin (short lived)
bronchoconstriction
blood vessel dilation or constriction
Increased permeability
pain
►Activation of other systems
complement
fibrinolysis
eicosanoids
►Inactivation by kininases
Arachidonic Acid Metabolites
Leukotrienes and Prostaglandins
Plasma proteases
►Hageman factor (factor XII)
Activated by negatively charged surfaces
Initiates blood clotting intrinsic pathway
Stimulates activation of the fibrinolytic system
Generates kinins (bradykinin)
Activates the complement cascade
►Blood clotting system:
Thrombin (factor IIa) causes increased leukocytes adhesion
and fibroblast proliferation
►Its action on fibrinogen produces fibrinopeptides, which increase
vascular permeability and are chemotactic
Factor Xa causes increased vascular permeability and
leukocyte exudation
Coagulation System
Complement cascade
►About 20 circulating proteins, many of which are proteases
when activated
►*Key step: activation of C3 (cleavage into C3b and C3a) →
the point where the intrinsic and extrinsic systems converge
►Complement system is closely regulated by specific protein
inhibitors
►Classical pathway involves recognition of IgG or IgM bound
to a cell membrane by C1
►Alternate pathway (properdin system) is activated by
bacterial cell wall components (LPS), immunoglobulin
aggregates, complex polysaccharides, etc.
Complement cascade
►C3a and C5a (anaphylatoxins) cause increased vascular
permeability and vasodilation by causing histamine release
from mast cells
►C5a is also potent chemotaxin for PMNs, monocytes,
eosinophils, and basophils
►C3b is an important opsonin
Fixes to bacterial cell walls and interacts with specific
receptors on PMNs and m
►Control
plasma proteases
innate instabilities
inhibitors (for C1 C3 C5)
inactivators (C3b)
Plasma proteases, Complement
Platelet Activating Factor (PAF)
►Source -numerous cells types (PLA
2)
►Functions
prolong and sustain inflammatory reaction
affects multiple systems
►endothelial cells
►neutrophils
►smooth muscle
►Platelets
►Stimulates eicosanoid production
Platelet Activating Factor (PAF)
Prolong and sustain
inflammatory reaction
Stimulates platelet
aggregation
Vasoconstriction
Bronchoconstriction
Vasodilation and
increased permeability
at low concentrations
Enhance leukocyte
adhesion by
upregulating integrins
Stimulates WBC
degranulation
Oxidative burst
Chemotaxis
Also boosts eicosanoid
production by WBC
•Source -numerous cells types (platelets, mast cells, m,
EC…)
•Formed by initial phospholipid cleavage by
phospholipase A2 (PLA2) with subsequent
acetylation
Functions
Cytokines
►Small polypeptides with autocrine, paracrine and endocrine
like activity
►Protein mediators produced mainly by m, Ly, MC, EC, etc.
►Produced during immune and inflammatory reactions
►Types
Interleukins (IL)
Interferons (IFN)
Chemokines
Growth factors (GF)
Colony stimulating factors (CSF)
Interleukin I & TNF
►Master Inflammatory
Cytokines
►Source:
primarily mF(IL-1, TNF-a),
T-lymphocytes (TNF-), &
early mast cell (TNF-a)
also many other cells
►Secretion stimuli:
LPS
immune complexes
toxins
physical injury
other inflammatory stimuli
Interleukin 1 & TNF
Systemic vs Localized Effects
►Inflammatory effects
Activation and priming of PMNs (TNF) and macrophages
Increased release of proteolytic enzymes
Neutrophilia via increased release
►Endothelial Effects
Increased adhesion molecule synthesis and expression
Vasodilation (via NO/PGI
2release)
Endothelial retraction
Procoagulation
►PAF, tissue factor, t-PA inhibitor
Synthesis of cytokines, chemokines, eicosinoids, NO,
increased surface thrombogenicity
Interleukin I & TNF
Interleukin 1 & TNF
►With IL-6, IL-1 and TNF induce acute phase
response:
Fever
Anorexia
Increased slow-wave sleep
Release of PMNs into circulation
Release of glucocorticoids
Hemodynamic effects shock
►Prolonged over-release of TNFaleads to
cachexia (neoplasia or chronic infections)
Other Interleukins
►IL-6
from macrophages, EC
Induced by IL-1/TNF
important in acute phase response
►IL-4, IL-10, IL-13
from T cells
macrophage inhibitors
drives immune response to humoral branch (Th2)
Other Interleukins
►IL-12 and IFNg
from T cells
drive cell mediated (Th1) immunity
macrophage activation
►IL-8
from macrophages, EC
part of chemokine group (neutrophil)
neutrophil activation
Chemokines
►All bind to cell G protein-linked cell surface
receptors and cause cytoskeletal alterations
►C-X-C (alpha) class: IL-8 is typical
secreted by m, EC in response to IL-1 and TNF, bacterial
products
most active on PMN
►C-C (beta) class: MCP-1, MIP-1a, RANTES, eotaxin
attract monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, basophils,
but not PMN.
Exception: eotaxin is specific for eosinophils
Chemokines
►C (gamma) class: lymphotactin
Specific for lymphocytes
►C-X
3
-C class: fractalkine
Exists as membrane form monocyte and T
lymphocyte strong adhesion
Soluble form chemotactic for same
Nitric Oxide (NO)
►Sources and functions
endothelium -vasodilation, platelet inhibition
macrophages -cytotoxic free radicals, vasodilation
neurons –not important in inflammation
Nitric oxide
►Major actions:
Vasodilation –short acting gas first recognized
as the endothelium-derived relaxing factor;
causes vasodilation by relaxation of arteriolar
smooth muscle
An effector of the host defense against certain
pathogens
A signaling molecule, particularly in the CNS
Nitric oxide
►Constitutively expressed in EC (eNOS) and
neurons (nNOS) and can be rapidly upregulated by
increased cytoplasmic calcium
►Induced in m(iNOS) by TNFaand IFNgin the
inflammatory response
►Inflammation is important for :
Vasodilation
Reduces platelet aggregation, inhibits mast cells
At higher levels (such as occurs when iNOS is activated)
reduces WBC recruitment
Nitric oxide
►In the host’s response to infection:
Over-secretion due to iNOS activation leads to the
peripheral vasodilation of septic shock
►iNOS can produce more NO than eNOS or nNOS
Reactive species generated from NO are bactericidal
►e.g.peroxynitrite, ONOO
.
, generated by NO reacting with
superoxide
►NO and reactive intermediates rapidly,
spontaneously decay, and are inactivated by heme
groups
Neuropeptides
►Substance P and others (neurokinin)
►Early release
►Stimulate histamine release from MC
Vasodilation and increased permeability
Growth factors
►Common theme: GFs bind to cell-surface
receptors, initiate signal transduction, DNA
synthesis, and subsequent mitosis
►In healing, most are produced and act
locally
m, platelets, fibroblasts, and EC
GFs can act in autocrine, paracrine, or
endocrine fashion
►Some are are also chemotactic for EC and
fibroblasts
Growth Factors
►TGF(some effects concentration
dependent)
from macrophages, EC
switches cells from pro-to anti-inflammatory
increases collagen production at repair sites
turns on production of other growth factors
Growth Factors:
Inhibitors, Reducers, and Suppressors
of the Inflammatory Process
Nonspecific Methods
►Dilution -mediator concentration is all important
►Natural Instability -spontaneous degeneration
►Inactivators -both specific and nonspecific
Proteases -continue to chew on peptides
kininases -breakdown bradykinin
►Antiproteases -prevent formation of more active
compounds and deactivate existing compounds
Specific Inhibitors
►Inhibitors of cell response -corticosteroids,
epinephrine
►Antagonistic cytokines -switch inflammatory cells off
TGF, IL 4, IL10, IL13
►Anti-inflammatory eicosanoids
Lipoxins and resolvins
Inhibit leukocyte recruitment and activation
Resolution of inflammation
►Competitive antagonist
compete for receptor -IL1ra
compete for cytokine -soluble receptors