6- Pathogenesis of parasitic infections Flashcards
What are the three main species of schistosomiasis and what areas of the body do they affect?
➝ Schistosoma mansoni - hepatic and intestinal
➝ S. haematobium - urinary system
➝ S. Japonicum - hepatic
Describe the life cycle of schistosomiasis?
➝ People become exposed to the infective stage in contaminated water
➝ they get infected with cercariae
➝ the cercariae migrate through the body forming adults in the mesenteric system
➝ Schistosoma haematobium forms in the vessels around the bladder
➝ they form adults, the female releases eggs which are pushed through the mucosal epithelium in the faeces or urine which contaminates water and infects snails
How do you get cercarial dermatitis?
➝ Exposure to cercariae from animal or bird schistosomes
➝ Requires pre-sensitization
What type of reaction does cercarial dermatitis?
➝ Allergic type reaction
What happens to the eggs of Schistosoma?
➝ they become organised in granulomas
What leads to organ damage in schistosomiasis?
➝ Repeated insults and tissue repair lead to fibrosis and organ damage
How does hepato-intestinal schistosomiasis occur?
➝ Infection with S. mansoni and S. Japonicum
What is pathology caused by in hepato-intestinal schistosomiasis?
➝ Immune response to the eggs
How does hepato-intestinal schistosomiasis occur?
➝ The adults are in the mesenteric vessels, the eggs are pushed by the immune response through the intestinal wall and through the mucosa
What happens with chronic exposure during hepato-intestinal schistosomiasis?
➝ fibrosis in the liver
How do the eggs get into the urine in urinary schistosomiasis?
➝ adults live in the vessels around the bladder
➝ they release eggs into the vessels
➝ the eggs get pushed into the mucosa of the bladder and are excreted in the urine
What is a common sequelae to urinary schistosomiasis?
➝ there is inflammation in the bladder wall related to the eggs and damage to the bladder wall which leads to cancer
What is a symptom of urinary schistosomiasis in endemic areas and at what age does this occur?
➝ haematuria- blood in urine
➝ adolescence
What is onchocerciasis?
➝ major blinding disease
What is onchocerciasis caused by?
➝ Filarial parasites
What is onchocerciasis transmitted by?
➝ blackflies
Where is the female worm found in onchocerciasis?
➝ coiled up in fibrous nodules under the skin
What geographical regions is onchocerciasis found in?
➝ Equatorial regions of Africa and Central and South America
Describe the life cycle of onchocerciasis?
➝ The blackfly bites and transmits L3 infectious larvae
➝ the larvae migrate under the skin and develop into adults which mate
➝ the female releases thousands of larvae called microfilariae which are taken up by the blackfly again
What is the vector of onchocerciasis?
➝ Simulium
Why does permanent scarring occur in onchocerciasis?
➝ Repeated episodes of inflammation to the presence of microfilariae leads to permanent damage and scarring in the skin and eyes
Why do you give diethylcarbamazine to patients with onchocerciasis?
➝ The parasite downregulates the immune response
➝ the downregulation can be switched off by giving diethylcarbamazine
What type of immune response is there to onchocerciasis?
➝ Strong allergic response with a lot of eosinophils that form eosinophilic abscesses
What can you observe clinically in onchocerciasis?
➝ Onchocercal nodules- female worms inside
➝ skin disease
➝ eye disease
What 4 skin diseases occur as a result of onchocerciasis?
➝ Acute papular onchodermatitis
➝ Chronic onchodermatitis-with repeated inflammation there is damage to collagen and elastin
➝ sowda
What 3 anterior segment eye diseases occur as a result of onchocerciasis?
➝ Punctate keratitis
➝ acute iridocyclitis
➝ sclerosing keratitis
What is sclerosing keratitis?
➝ with repeated inflammation there is opacification of the cornea
➝ blindness
What is punctate keratitis?
➝ little opacities in the cornea
What 2 posterior segment eye diseases occur as a result of onchocerciasis?
➝ Optic neuritis/atrophy
➝ chorioretinopathy
What is chorioretinopathy?
➝ small white spots in the eye where microfilariae are being killed