Download Suggested Answers to Discussion topics

Suggested Answers to Discussion Topics
Chapter 15, Innate and Adaptive Immunity
Suggested Answers for Topics of Discussion
1a. Students’ answers should include the following:

Debbie needs to understand the difference
between active and passive immunity. In this
situation, the adaptive process of the immune
response in the health care workers will be active
immunity through immunization. One must also
consider for each individual immunized, their
overall response, that is, how they responded to
immunizations in the past and their current
health status.

The concepts of how antigen and antibody
communicate must be relayed to appreciate the
acquired immune response. The complement
system and its function as mediator for immunity
will help to explain this further for Debbie. The
enzyme activity, along with the inflammatory
response, and in particular its vascular phase,
will help Debbie comprehend each step. It is
equally important for Debbie to also understand
the ability of the immune system to self-regulate
and its ultimate protection of autoimmune
reactions. MCH molecules (major
histocompatibility complex) also come into play
here.
1b. Students’ answers should include the following:

The nurse would be concerned for the older adult
population in this situation for several reasons:
o Individually, their ability to adapt to the
disease process as the immune response
diminishes with age. By age, they are at
greater risk for other infections by their
now existing weaken immune state. A
mitigating factor is any other associated
medical conditions that would impact on
their health outcomes (i.e., COPD or
cardiac disease).
o Research also indicates that the older
Learning Objective(s)
4, 11, 12, 14
populace is also at risk for an increase in
autoimmune diseases.
2a. Students’ answers should include the following:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9

A full blood workup of the immune system
would give a picture of Daniel’s current immune
status. Understanding specific immune cell
levels would further help in potential treatment
modalities. Immunoglobulins, with sub classes,
B and T cell counts along with a detailed picture
of the CD4 and CD8 levels would be warranted.
Immunoglobulins overall give a picture of how the body
can defend itself. For example, IgG and its subclass IgG
2 responses to bacteria such as streptococcus pneumonia
and Haemophilus influenza, two bacteria that Daniel
would be highly susceptible to. Both the T and B cell
differentiation would align with Daniel’s ability/or not
to control infective processes. Specifically these levels
would give information about his cell-mediated and
humoral responses. CD4 and CD8 counts are primarily
responsible for regulating the immune response. These
counts also impact on natural killer cell (NK)
cytotoxicity. The responses of the lymphoid organs are
directly related to the host’s vulnerability.
2b. Students’ answers should include the following:


Although Daniel’s health is already
compromised from his existing disease process,
immunization can continue to maintain his
health. Specifically, vaccines such as the flu and
pneumococcal vaccines can further protect or
decrease Daniel’s response to severe lung
infections.
Macrophages in particular that are located in the
lung and liver (two organs that are affected with
Daniel’s alpha-1 antitrypsin history) are
primarily responsible for their phagocytic ability.
The fact that activated macrophages impact on
the self-nonself response and adaptive immunity
have to be considered in this case
3a. Students’ answers should include the following:

Cytokines are pivotal within the immune
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
response.
Responsible for activating, stimulating, and
eliciting responses that affect the behavior of
many other cells.
The intricate involvement of this protein
production and receptors sites that it binds to is
complex. The processes of inflammation must be
well understood, as it relates to biologic changes
or responses to the cytokines. Regulation of
different cells within the immune system to keep
foreign cells is the main function. This
pathophysiologic principle is also considered in
the treatment of certain cancers (i.e., interleukins
decrease inflammatory response, promote growth
of T and B cells, or stimulate neutrophil
production, whereas interferon concentrates on
its antiviral activity and changes or alters the
growth of function of the foreign cancer cells.)
Expression and feedback systems attempt to
keep the overall impact/response under control;
however acknowledgment has to be given to the
potential for excessive responses and thus the
adverse side effects of any cancer agent.