Case:
A 6-year-old boy is brought to the clinic where his motherreports that he was bitten by a neighbor’s dog two days earlier.The child’s right hand is lacerated between the thumb and indexfinger and this area is inflamed but healing. The doctor’sexamination reveals small but painless swellings beneath the skininside the right elbow and arm pit and he explains to the motherthat these are active lymph nodes enlarged in response to theinfection in the hand.
Questions:
6. What has produced the swelling?
7. Many immune-related cellular activities are oftenimpaired in aged patients. Which lymphoid organ(s) normally developless functionality and increasing amounts of adipose tissue withage?
8. Immunologists recognize two partially overlappinglines of defense against invaders and/or other abnormal,potentially harmful cells: innate immunity and adaptive immunity.In the case above, which would likely to occur first? What isinnate immunity? Explain.
Case:
A 30-year-old woman with a history of infertility is discoveredto have a high titer of antisperm antibodies.
Questions:
9. Immunoglobulins of humans fall into five majorclasses. Which immunoglobulin classes most likely provides acquired“immunity†against spermatozoa in the reproductive tract of thispatient? Explain.
10. This immunoglobin class is mainly produced in aninitial response to an antigen.
11. This immunoglobulin class can cross the placentalbarrier and confers passive immunity against certain infectionsuntil the newborn’s own adaptive immune system isacquired.
