DEFENCE MECHANISMS OF THE

RESPIRATORY TRACT

Done By: Amal Abdulkadir.

BMS15091333
Pulmonary disease often results from failure of normal host defense
system of the healthy lung. Can be divided into physical & physiological
mechanisms and humoral and cellular mechanisms. Or as immediate,
early and late.
 Physical & Physiological mechanisms
1- Humidification
This prevents dehydration of
the epithelium.
2- Particle expulsion
This is affected by coughing,
sneezing or gagging.
3- Particle Removal
• Over 90% of particles < than
10 μm diameter are removed
in the nostril/ nasopharynx.
• Includes most pollen grains,
which are > 20 μm in diameter.
Particles between 5 & 10 μm
become impacted in the
carina.
• Particles < 1 μm tend to
remain airborne thus particles
cable of reaching the deep
lung are confined to the 1-5
μm range.
 4- Respiratory Tract Secretions
• Mucus is a gelatinous substance
consisting chiefly of acid and
neutral polysaccharides.
• It’s a thick gel, impermeable to
water. Floats on a liquid layer
that’s present around cells of
epithelial cells.
• Secreted from goblet cells &
mucous glands as distinct globules
that coalesce increasingly to form
continuous mucus blanket.
• In normal conditions the cilia tips
are in contact with undersurface
of gel and coordinate movement
to push it towards the mouth.
• Takes 30-60 mins to clear up
mucus from large bronchi but
several days in bronchioles.
• Long term effects of smoking (also
air pollutants/ products of
bacterial and viral infection) is
reduction in mucociliary transport.
• Contributes to recurrent infection
and prolonged exposure to
carcinogens.
• Congenital defects in mucociliary
transport e.g ‘immotile cilia’
(abscence of dynein arms in cilia)
syndrome or in cystic fibrosis
(cilliary dyskinesia and thick
mucus) both which may lead to
recurrent infection &reduction in
mucociliary clearance.
 Humoral and Cellular Mechanisms
NON SPECIFIC SULUBLE SOURCE ACTIONS
FACTORS
α1 Antitrypsin Plasma Inhibits chymotrypsin &
trypsin & neutralizes
proteases.
superoxide, ascorbate Epithelial lining fluid Antioxidant defences
& urate
Lysozyme Granulocytes Bactericidal properties
Lactoferrin Epithelial cells Bactericidal
Interferons Most cells Modulate lymphocytes
Complement Plasma Cytoxicity
Surfactant protein A macrophages Opsonize bacteria
Defensins Neutrophil granules Bactericidal peptides

Above mechanisms act against microbes, inorganic substances e.g asbestos, dust &
other antigens. Aide opsonization of macrophages in englufing antigens.
Innate and Adapted Immunity
• With infection, neutrophils • Dendritic cells are apc and key
in adaptive immunity response.
migrate out of pulmonary • Inflammation is necessary for
capillaries into air spaces & innate immunity & host
defence, but leads to lung
phagocytose & kill microbes. damage.
Alveolar T lymphocytes NOTE:
stimulate macrophages Fine line between defense & injury.
together with cytokines e.g IL.
• Neutrophils can also generate
a variety of mediators e.g TNF-
α, IL-1 & chemokines which
activate dendritic and B cells
which produce T cell activating
cytokine IL-12. The latter
enhances neutrophil mediated
defense during pneumonia.