Immunity

The immune system is morphologically diffuse and consists of leukocytes, macrophages, dendrite cells
in the spleen, specialized cells in the skin and thymus of molecules of antibodies and other humeral
factors.
Humeral immunity (by humeral agents) and cellular immunity, their role is elimination of external
antigens.
1. Nonspecific mechanism – develop sooner, react in defense reactions as first and act non-
specifically.
• Phagocytosis – nLe, ere, macrophages – indigestion, activity of lysosomes, peroxidase
reactions.
• System of complement – 30 different glycoproteins (cascade of enzymatic processes).
• Opsenins – faciliate phagocytosis.
2. Regulating specific immunity – interleukins, interferon, transforming growth factor,
macrophage inhibitory factor.
Specific group mechanism develop and act later than the nonspecific group and react only with that
antigens which caused their production.

Lymphoid tissues – thymus, lymphonodes, spleen

Immunocompetent cells: able to produce a specific answer to antigen.
• B-lymphocytes 15%
• T-lymphocytes 75%
• Immunoglobulins 5 classes – lgA, lgD, lgE, lgG, lgM

Spleen
In is related to red and white blood cells and is included in the mononuclear phagocyte system,
filtration of blood, immune reaction, haemotopoietic organ in foetuses.

Morphology
white pulp and red pulp, very narrow capillary gaps (2-3μm).

Functions
• Haematopoiesis
• Destruction of old and damaged erythrocytes
• Store of thrombocytes
• Blood store
• Immunite reaction
Principals of transfusion
1. Examination of the blood groups.
2. Application of blood of the same group. In emergency can give 0, but Rh must be the same.
3. Cross test (blood of donor with blood of recipient)
4. Biological test (10-20ml of blood slowly intravenously) – red face, headache, breathing, heart
rate, body temprature, etc are followed, if present, transfusion must stop.

What is applied
The whole blood, concentrated erythrocytes, blood plasma, some coagulation factors, artificial
solutions, special components can be applied.

Blood clotting
Clotting is change of fluid into gally. (coagulum = thrombus). Succesive enzymatic activation of
inactive factors.
1. Preparatory factors (activation of prothrombin complex).
2. Change of soluble prothrombin into insoluble thrombin.
3. Change of soluble fibrinogen into filamentous thin.
4. Retraction of coagulum – production of blood serum.

Coagulation factors
1. Plasmatic – 12 factors situated in the blood plasma.
2. Platelet – in thrombocytes.
3. Tissue – in surrounding tissues (in membranes of endothelial cells).

Internal (intrinsic) system

Inside the blood vessels. It starts from activation of factor XII.

External system
Outside the blood vessels (endothelium or tissues e.g. after damage of blood vessel.

Factor X
Connection of the internal and external system.

Anti-clotting factors
There is equilibrium between pro-clotting and anti-clotting factors – liquid blood.
1. Continuous blood flow and endothelial factors.
2. Non-damaged vascular endothelium.
 3. Humoral inhibitors of clotting – fibrin, antithrombin 3, protein C, thrombomedulin, α-
macroglobulin, plasmin.
4. Artificial anti coagulary factory – defibrination, decalcification, non-wetable surface of the
vessels, heparin, chumarin.Thrombocytes = platelets
Fragments of cytoplasm of megacaryotes (in bone marrow).
Size = 2-4 μm
Count: 100,000 – 300,000 per μl
Contains 3 types of granules
densite tubular system
contractile proteins – actin + myosin
granules – srotonin, ADP, fibrinogen, factor V, β – thromboglubin, phospholipids (platelets factor 3),
growth factor.

Functions
Heamotatic procedures – platelets factors of clotting growth and development of vascular smooth
muscle cells + fibroblasts.

Haemostasis
Stop of bleeding.
4 reactions:
1. Vascular reaction – vasoconstriction by serotonin.
2. Platelet aggregetion (very small defects) – adhesion, degranulation, platelet stopper.
3. Blood clotting (haemocoagulation) – activation inactive of coagulation – gelly production.
4. Contraction of fibrin fibers and expulsion of the serum from coagulation.

Group antigens
1. In erythrocytes – ABO system and Rh system.
2. In thrombocytes and granulocytes – four systems in thrombocytes and five systems in
granulocytes.
3. HLA system
main complex of histocompatibility of humans. Antigens localized in 6th chromosome.
Divided to 6 main locuses: HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DR, HLA-DQ, HLA-DP.
Cytokins mediators of immunity reaction produced by lymphocytes or by macrophages.
1. Regulating natural immunity – interleukins, interferon of the 1st type, tumor necrosis factor,
chemokins.