VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY

IMMUNOLOGY
the scientific study of all aspects of
immunity
IMMUNITY
non- susceptibility to the invasive or
pathogenic effects of microorganisms
Is an enhanced state of
responsiveness to a specific
substance, induced by prior contact
with that substance
State of resistance to an infection
Historical Highlights in Veterinary
Immunology
12th century Event
Variolation or
Inoculation -Chinese rubbed
infected pox materials on cuts of skin
1754 Rinderpest or cattle plague
outbreak started inoculation of healthy
animals with piece of string soaked in
the nasal discharge of infected animal
as preventive measure to control
rinderpest
1798 Edward Jenner used cowpox
to vaccinate humans against small
pox. Vaccination term was coined
from vacca latin for cow
1879 Louis Pasteur established the
general principle of vaccination using
Pasteurella multocida model in
chickens.
1879 Louis Pasteur Founder of the
Science of Immunology Father of
Immunology First to produce Bacillus
antracis vaccine Developed the first
Rabies vaccine using dry spinal cord of
rabies infected rabbits
1890-1904 Daniel Salmon and
Theobald Smith used heat killed

culture of Salmonella enterica

cholerasuis to protect pigeons
Von Behring and
Shibasaburo Kitasato sucessfully
tested vaccines for diptheria and
tetanus Von Behring named and
discovered antibodies
1905 Robert Koch discovered the
tuberculin reaction and won the Nobel
Prize
1955-1960 Jonas Salk and Alfred
Sabin discovered the different forms
of the poliomyelitis vaccine which was
used to control the disease worldwide.
1984 George Kohler and Cesar
Milstein won Nobel Prize for
production of monoclonal antibodies
Defense of the body or protection of
the body is a function of multiple
defense systems that can control or
destroy most of invaders
An effective immune system is
essential to life

TYPES OF IMMUNITY
NATURAL OR INNATE IMMUNITY
Nonspecific

Present from birth

Consists of
1. Barriers to antigens: e.g.
skin,
mucous
membranes,
2. chemical
and
cellular
defense mechanisms ,
e.g.

Inflammation- a focused defense

response where local changes in
tissues brought about by microbial
invasion or tissue damage result in
increased blood flow and local

accumulation of cells that can attack

and destroy the invaders.
Complement System
ACQUIRED IMMUNITY (Specific/
Adaptive)
Expressed after exposure to a given
substance or antigen and is specific
An adaptive response wherein the
system can learn to recognize
invaders when it encounters them
again and that can respond even more
rapidly and effectively. The acquired
immune system can recognize foreign
invaders, destroy them and retain the
memory of the encounter.
Consist of: Humoral Immunity & Cell
Mediated Immunity

TYPES OF IMMUNE RESPONSE

A. Humoral Immune Response
(Antibody mediated Immunity)acquired immunity response to
exogenous antigens that are
extracellular
Antibodies or Immunoglobulinsprotective factors synthesized by the
body against an antigen or upon
exposure to an antigen.
Ex. Tetanus antitoxin when injected to
a horse prevents tetanus infection.
HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE
A. Primary Immune Responseresponse that occurs following a first
exposure to an antigen, antibodies
produced are relatively small, no
antibodies are detected for a week
( lag period) after injection. Antibodies
peak at 10-14 days before declining.
B. Secondary Immune Response- a
response that occurs following a
second or subsequent exposure to

antigen, the response is immediate

and antibody rises rapidly at a higher
level than the primary response. The
features of the secondary immune
response indicate that the immune
system is able to remember previous
exposure to an antigen also known as
ANAMNESTIC RESPONSE.

TYPES OF IMMUNE RESPONSE

B. Cell Mediated Immune
Response (CMI) Mediated by
lymphocytes and phagocytes
E.g. Graft rejection demonstrates the
existence of a mechanism wherein
foreign cells differing slightly from an
animals own normal cells are rapidly
recognized and eliminated.
CMI and Humoral Immune Response
not entirely separate but they act
together.
C.TOLERANCE
The immune system must recognize
its own cells as not foreign and not
mount an immune response. Tolerance
breakdown results to autoimmune
disease.
Examples. Systemic Lupus
Erythromatosus (SLE), Hemolytic
anemia and myasthenia gravis

MECHANISM OF IMMUNE
RESPONSE
1. Method of trapping and processing
antigens (Ag)
2. Mechanism of reacting specifically
to an Ag
3. Produce antibodies (Ab) or
participate in CMI

4. Cells retain memory of event and

able to react to the same Ag in the
future.