Immunology Review Corner

With this issue, we begin the Immunology Review Corner. During the next several months, we will review the 5th edition of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, edited by Abul K. Abbas and Andrew H. Lichtman. We are starting with Chapter One and will work our way through the text. This first section is essentially a short, basic introduction. As we progress, the number of questions will increase and become more complex. I would like to encourage everyone to join us in learning immunology together, and if you have questions, please send me an email: warner.carr@hotmail.com.

Chapter 1 questions

1. Which one the following is not part of the innate immune system?
a. T lymphocytes
b. Epithelial barriers
c. NK cells
d. Complement

2. Transfer of maternal antibodies to the fetus is an example of what type of immunity?
a. Active immunity
b. Passive immunity
c. Cell mediated immunity
d. Adaptive immunity

3. There are essentially 5 phases on the adaptive immune response. Which of the following puts these phases in chronological order from initiation to completion of the adaptive immune response?
a. Clonal expansion, differentiation, somatic hypermutation, memory, apoptosis
b. Recognition, effector phase, elimination, memory, homeostasis
c. Recognition, activation, effector, decline, memory
d. Clonal expansion, differentiation, effector, homeostasis, apoptosis

4. Which of the following statements is false?
a. All the lymphocytes from an individual clone express receptors of only one specificity.
b. Individual clones may respond to multiple antigens, thus providing the immune system one mechanism for diversity.
c. Antigen-specific clones develop before and independent of exposure to antigen.
d. All cells of an individual clone have the same receptors, which are different from the receptors of other clones.

5. Which of the following is an example of a second signal?
a. Binding of microbial antigen to the TCR
b. A cytokine or accessory molecule that binds to its ligand on the T-cell at the same time as TCR binding by antigen.
c. A second antigen binding to an adjacent TCR.
d. Re-exposure to an antigen and activation of a memory cell for the second time.

6. Cardinal features of adaptive immune response include all the following, EXCEPT?
a. Specificity and diversity
b. Memory
c. Nonreactive to self
d. Self-limitation
e. Pattern Recognition Molecules

7. Which of the following is NOT a feature of innate immunity?
a. Specificity is for structures shared by groups of related microbes
b. Diversity is limited and germline-encoded
c. Non-reactivity to self
d. Memory
e. Components include complement

Answers and corresponding references:
1. A, page 5
2. B, page 7
3. C, page 13
4. B, page 13
5. B, page 14
6. E, pages 9-10
7. D, Table 1-2 in page 5