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Antibody Production Issues in AIDS and Dengue

The document discusses problems associated with live attenuated vaccines. Live attenuated vaccines contain live but weakened viruses or bacteria. They pose risks for immunocompromised individuals, may revert back to disease-causing forms, and require cold storage for effective transportation and use.

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16 views3 pages

Antibody Production Issues in AIDS and Dengue

The document discusses problems associated with live attenuated vaccines. Live attenuated vaccines contain live but weakened viruses or bacteria. They pose risks for immunocompromised individuals, may revert back to disease-causing forms, and require cold storage for effective transportation and use.

Uploaded by

virgo paige
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

6. A patient with AIDS has a low TH cell count. Why does this patient have trouble making antibodies?

How does this patient make any antibodies?

- HIV is a unique human RNA virus, capable of infecting cells of the immune system. Specifically, HIV
targets T helper cells (CD4 cells), leading to the eventual death of the cell. CD4 cells are vital players in
the regulation of immune responses to invading microorganisms. The T Helper cells (TH cells) are
responsible for the activation of the B cells. The TH cells activated the B cells by producing suitable
chemicals called as cytokines. The patients suffering from AIDS has a low TH cell count. When the
patient has a low count of TH cells, they lack the chemical reaction necessary to activate B cells, which
produce IgM. As a result, the inactivated B cells fail to produce the antibodies. Due to the fact that the
innate ability to form antibodies is compromised, patients with AIDS must receive synthetic or injectable
antibodies in order to maintain their health and resist infection. The patient would use the HAART
therapy, which consists of taking a complex regimen of medication that aims to eliminate the virus as
much as possible.

8. Newborns (under 1 year) who contract dengue have a higher chance of dying from it if their mothers
had dengue prior to pregnancy. Explain why

Newborns during antepartum receive passive immunity from their mother. As a result, they inherit the
same immunity from their mother due to that they do not have memory B cells to produce antibodies
against the virus. Because they were previously exposed, but not infected, there may be an event due to
the previous exposure. The infection postpartum will likely have a stronger effect and as a result the
body may not be able to fight off the virus. Infants who are no more than 1 year and are infected with
dengue virus could be considered at high risk for this ailment if they have subneutralizing levels of
maternal antibodies against dengue virus; DHF might be caused because of enhancement in antibodies’
titer against dengue. It may take place because maternal placentally transferred antibodies against
dengue virus are able to cross-link virus and Fc receptor-bearing cells. This cross-linking might stimulate
the viral uptake and thus can activate the immune system due to which, tissue damage and plasma
leakage could occur that can be blamed for death of an infant.

9. What problems are associated with the use of live attenuated vaccines?

Live attenuated vaccines should not be given to people who are clinically immunosuppressed (either due
to drug treatment or underlying illness) because the vaccine strain could replicate too much and cause
an extensive, serious infection.

live attenuated viral vaccines include reversion to virulence, tissue damage, and interference by MDA.
Tissue damage due to live vaccines may lead to pathological disorders or secondary bacterial infections,
especially in day-old chick (Tarpey et al., 2006). And it has been found that H52 and H120 IBV vaccines
induce considerable pathology in the trachea (Zhang et al., 2010). And potential recombination between
vaccine strains and virulent field strains may lead to the emergence of new IBV serotypes

Live, attenuated vaccines cannot be administered to individuals with weakened or damaged immune
systems. To maintain potency, live, attenuated vaccines require refrigeration and protection from light.

The major disadvantage of attenuated vaccines is that secondary mutations can lead to reversion to
virulence and can thus cause disease. There is another possibility of interference by related viruses, as is
suspected in the case of oral polio vaccine in developing countries.
Also, not everyone can safely receive live, attenuated vaccines. People with immune-compromised,
damaged, or weakened immune systems (due to chemotherapy, HIV infection, or even pregnancy)
cannot be given live vaccines.

The principal danger with an attenuated vaccine is that the organism, because it is still alive, can
sometimes recover its virulence and cause disease in the vaccinee. For example, in rare, unpredictable
instances, one of the three attenuated viral strains comprising the Sabin oral polio vaccine reverts to
virulence after passing through the human intestinal tract. The vaccinee may then develop vaccine-
associated paralytic polio (VAPP), poliomyelitis caused by the vaccine. Practices used to manufacture live
vaccines can also introduce contaminants.

A third difficulty with live, attenuated vaccines is that, even when attenuated, certain viruses apparently
induce transient immunosuppression that leaves a vaccinee vulnerable to infections easily fended off by
an unvaccinated individual. For example, vaccination with a certain attenuated strain of measles virus
(no longer used) rendered vaccinees unusually susceptible to pneumonia, diarrhea, and parasitic
infections.

A last disadvantage to using a live vaccine is that it must be stored properly to be effective; that is, the
cold chain of refrigeration from manufacturer to vaccinee must be maintained, a significant problem in
many developing countries.

In rare cases, particularly when there is inadequate vaccination of the population, natural mutations
during viral replication, or interference by related viruses, can cause an attenuated virus to revert to its
wild-type form or mutate to a new strain, potentially resulting in the new virus being infectious or
pathogenic.

Often not recommended for immunocompromised patients due to the risk of potentially severe
complications.

Live strains typically require advanced maintenance, such as refrigeration and fresh media, making
transport to remote areas difficult and costly.

But live vaccines also have some limitations. For example:

Because they contain a small amount of the weakened live virus, some people should talk to their health
care provider before receiving them, such as people with weakened immune systems, long-term health
problems, or people who’ve had an organ transplant.

They need to be kept cool, so they don’t travel well. That means they can’t be used in countries with
limited access to refrigerators.

Live vaccines are used to protect against:

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR combined vaccine)

Rotavirus
Smallpox

Chickenpox

Yellow fever

Common questions

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CD4 cells, or T helper cells, play a critical role in the immune system by activating B cells to produce antibodies and coordinating immune responses to pathogens . In individuals with AIDS, CD4 cells are targeted and destroyed by HIV, leading to impaired immune responses and increased vulnerability to infections .

Newborns may inherit passive immunity with subneutralizing antibody levels from their mothers, which can lead to a stronger immune response upon exposure, enhancing antibody uptake and causing tissue damage and plasma leakage . This can increase the risk of severe conditions like dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), potentially leading to death .

Live attenuated vaccines pose risks such as reversion to virulence, inducing excessive viral replication, and causing infections in immunocompromised individuals . They require refrigeration, limiting use in areas without proper storage facilities, and may recombine with virulent strains creating new serotypes .

Low TH cell counts in patients with AIDS lead to trouble producing antibodies because TH cells are responsible for activating B cells through cytokines. Without sufficient TH cells, B cells remain inactive and fail to produce antibodies . To compensate for this deficiency, these patients can receive synthetic or injectable antibodies and use HAART therapy to manage the virus .

Live, attenuated vaccines are advantageous in scenarios where robust, long-lasting immunity is needed and can safely be administered, such as in healthy populations with sufficient refrigeration capabilities. Safe maximization requires proper storage, careful management of the vaccinees' health status, and monitoring for any adverse effects .

Maternal antibodies can pose a risk when they are at subneutralizing levels, which may enhance viral uptake and immune activation, leading to conditions such as dengue hemorrhagic fever. This occurs due to antibody-dependent enhancement, causing tissue damage and plasma leakage .

Recombination between vaccine strains and field strains could result in the emergence of new, potentially virulent serotypes, which might cause outbreaks and complicate existing vaccination efforts, rendering current vaccines less effective or ineffective .

HAART therapy helps individuals with AIDS by reducing the viral load in their body, which helps preserve the function of CD4 cells and improves immune response. This therapy is necessary to help manage HIV, slow disease progression, and maintain health .

Live attenuated vaccines are unsuitable for immunocompromised individuals because the weakened vaccine viruses can replicate excessively, potentially leading to disease rather than protection, due to the individual's reduced ability to control viral replication .

To ensure effectiveness, live attenuated vaccines must be continuously refrigerated from manufacture to administration. This cold chain requirement poses logistical challenges, especially in developing countries with limited infrastructure for refrigeration .

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