Abstract
The ability to recognize the presence of a pathogen and respond appropriately is a fundamental aspect of innate immunity. This chapter describes the types of receptors and their ligands that are used to detect microbes that have entered the body as well as responses. Some receptors recognize conserved structures unique to microbes and not present in mammalian cells, called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Other receptors recognize nucleic acids that are unique to the microbe or are in the cytoplasm where nucleic acids are not normally found. Interestingly, certain disruptions to the cell, such as microbial invasion or cell stress, can be detected and are called danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). The host makes multiple types of responses appropriate for eliminating the type of pathogen. The inflammatory response consists of fluid and cells entering tissues to fight the infection and secretion of cytokines and chemokines for cell–cell communication. The complement system is an ancient system of proteins for fighting infections. Once activated, complement proteins promote inflammation and directly kill pathogens. Other effector mechanisms such as the secretion of antimicrobial peptides are discussed. The breadth of receptors and responses reflects how important it is to recognize an invading microbe, make an appropriate response for the type of pathogen, and destroy it before being harmed. However, in some cases, it is not possible to eliminate the microbe or inducer of inflammation. A state of chronic inflammation is an adaption by the host to this situation.
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Kavathas, P.B., Krause, P.J., Ruddle, N.H. (2019). Innate Immunity: Recognition and Effector Functions. In: Krause, P., Kavathas, P., Ruddle, N. (eds) Immunoepidemiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25553-4_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25553-4_3
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