Abstract

Immunity originates from the Latin term immunis, meaning “exempt”, which refers to all the mechanisms used by the body as protection against invasion by agents that are foreign to the body. These agents may be infectious pathogens, foods, chemicals, drugs, and, in terms of transplantation, organ grafts from another individual (allograft). The immune system consists of two functionally distinct arms: the innate immunity arm and the adaptive immunity arm. The innate immunity refers to all those elements with which an individual is born and that are always present and available at short term to protect the individual from challenges by foreign invaders. This response is nonspecific and occurs rapidly upon ligation to innate immune receptors (e.g. Toll-like receptors or C-type lectin receptors). The cell types expressing these receptors and hence participate in the cellular innate immune response include dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, e.g. Kupffer cells and splenic macrophages, granulocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. A fundamental defense mechanism carried out by these cells is phagocytosis, but also production of cytokines to affect other cells, or release of perforin/granzyme for extracellular killing. In humoral innate immunity, the complement system is the main component. Specific activation of complement by pathogens leads to a cascade of proteolytic reactions that coats pathogens with complement fragments. Complement-coated pathogens are recognized and bound by specific complement receptors on macrophages, taken up by phagocytosis, and destroyed.

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H.J. Metselaar (Herold)
Erasmus University Rotterdam
The studies described in this thesis were performed at the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The research included in this thesis was supported by a Mosaic grant of The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO 017.007.055) and by an unrestricted grant of Biotest AG, Dreieich, Germany, and of TwinPharma, Linschoten, The Netherlands. Financial support for printing of this thesis was generously provided by: Biotest AG TwinPharma Astellas Pharma B.V. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Transplantatie Nederlandse Vereniging voor Hepatologie Baxter B.V. Abbvie BD bioscience B.V. Gilead Science Greiner Bio-One B.V. Zambon B.V.
hdl.handle.net/1765/77248
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

Tjon, A. (2014, November 19). Immunomodulatory Mechanisms of Intravenous Immunoglobulin. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/77248