WANI Dictionary

Innate immunity

Innate immunity is the component of the immune system that does not require prior exposure to a specific pathogen.

Innate immunity includes cytokines, macrophages, and expression of antimicrobial peptides, but not antibodies or T-cells.

Definitions in the literature

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• Innate immunity is defined as those aspects of immunity that are not antibodies and not T-cells. Innate immune responses to invading pathogens can include the expression of cytokines; the activation and recruitment of macrophages, leukocytes and other white blood cells; and the expression of antimicrobial peptides such as defensins and cathelicidins [1].
• Innate immunity is defined as being dependent on germline genes, present at all times and functional during early primary infections but not increasing with repeated exposures [2].
• .. innate immunity is defined as those host defense mechanisms that do not require previous exposure to a microorganism [3].