In germinal centers, proliferating B cells undergo a process…
In germinal centers, proliferating B cells undergo a process called somatic hypermutation, in which mutations are introduced into the V regions of the antibody heavy and light chain genes. When this process is complete after several weeks, the overall affinities of the antibodies produced are greatly
Read DetailsEffector memory cells (TEM), are recirculating cells that c…
Effector memory cells (TEM), are recirculating cells that can readily enter tissues at sites of inflammation and are ready to rapidly respond to re-infection. The subset of TEM cells provides an important component of protective immunity to re-infection by the same pathogen because:
Read DetailsWhile innate immune responses to all types of infections ind…
While innate immune responses to all types of infections induce local inflammatory responses due to activation of blood vessel endothelial cells, some components of the innate response differ depending on the nature of the pathogen. In the case of intracellular bacterial, dendritic cells and macrophages produce a cytokine that stimulates ILC cells to produce:
Read DetailsIgA is produced in copious amounts, estimated to be a rate…
IgA is produced in copious amounts, estimated to be a rate of 3 g/day. Nearly all of the IgA secreting plasma cells are found in the gastrointestinal tract where the secreted IgA is transported across the intestinal epithelium with the help of:
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