3.3 Molecular Mechanism of Pulmonary Inflammation

Question 1

What are the proinflammatory cytokines that are activated by NF-KappaB and what are their general effects?

Answer 1

• IL-1 (fever, vasodilation, adhesion factors)
• IL-2 (t-cell activation)
• TNF-alpha + IL-6 (fever)
• IL-8 (Neutrophil inflammation)

Question 2

What are the innate immune mechanisms of the upper respiratory tract?

Answer 2

• Filtration, sneeze, normal flora, mucocilliary transport, TLRs and PRRs
• Upper respiratory tract is non-sterile

Question 3

What are the innate immune mechanisms of the lower respiratory tract?

Answer 3

• Mucociliary transport, cough, lung macrophages, pulmonary mucosal adaptive immune system, TLRs and PRRs
• Lower respiratory tract is sterile

Question 4

What are the two main TH2 cytokines that are responsible for allergy response and asthma?

Answer 4

• IL-4 -TH2 induction and IgE antibody isotype preference
  
  • Mostly responsible for allergy response
• IL-13 = Mucus and chemokine production and smooth muscle hyper-contractility
  
  • Mostly responsible for asthma response

Question 5

What types of infective agents are more common if there is a defect in the complement system?

Answer 5

Increased infections of encapsulated organisms

Strep pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitides, and Haemophilus influenza

Question 6

How can you tell on a FEV1 and Time graph if a person has an allergic response with and without asthma?

Answer 6

Allergic response will initially drop the FEV1 sharply, but then, after a few hours, a secondary response occurs with FEV1 dropping more in the case of someone with asthma

Question 7

What are some of the symptoms of someone experience TH1 inflammation?

Answer 7

Dyspnea, non-productive cough, low wheezing (low mucus), low oxygen saturation, pleural effusion

Chronic TH1 response may lead to emphysema