Acute and Chronic Inflammation

Question 1

Definition of inflammation?

Answer 1

Inflammation is a tissue response, caused by a wide range of stimuli and its purpose is to reduce injury

Question 2

What are the 3 aims of inflammation?

Answer 2

1) Remove the stimuli that caused injury
2) Repair damage
3) Restore normal functioning of the tissue

Question 3

When does inflammation stop?

Answer 3

When the stimuli that caused the injury is removed, the inflammatory mediators will be eliminated and the inflammation response will stop

Question 4

Why is inflammation essential?

Answer 4

Wound healing

Question 5

What are the 5 main reasons for why inflammation occurs?

Answer 5

1) Infections
2) Foreign bodies
3) Chemical or Physical damage
4) Immune reactions
5) Ischaemia

Question 6

What are the 4 advantages of inflammation?

Answer 6

1) Limits injury
2) Removes dead cells
3) Promotes specific immunity
4) Facilitates repair and healing

Question 7

What are the 3 disadvantages of inflammation?

Answer 7

1) Over inflammatory response (can lead to allergies/hypersensitivity)
2) Poor inflammatory response (basis of immunodeficiency disorders)
3) Inflammatory response can persist (leads to chronic inflammation)

Question 8

What 4 things are needed for the inflammatory process to occur?

Answer 8

1) Plasma (proteins and fluid)
2) Cells that circulate in the blood
3) Blood vessels
4) Constituents of connective tissue

Question 9

What 2 processes occur in inflammation?

Answer 9

1) Vascular reaction (changes that occur to the vessels)

2) Cellular reaction (changes that occur to the location and function of WBC’s)

Question 10

What events occur in the vascular reaction of inflammation?

Answer 10

1) Inflammatory mediators cause vasodilation
2) This increases blood flow to the area
3) Blood pressure increases inside the blood vessels
4) This leads to the plasma leaking out into the connective tissue
5) Blood vessels become more permeable and the endothelial cells contract causing the WBC’s to leak out into the connective tissue

Question 11

What events occur in the cellular reaction of inflammation?

Answer 11

1) Margination: WBC’s will migrate to the edge of the blood vessels where the pressure is greatest.
2) Adhesion: WBC’s adhere to the endothelial membrane
3) Diapedesis: Chemical mediators tell WBC’s to move out of the blood vessels and into the connective tissue

Question 12

How can you detect inflammation?

Answer 12

There will be an increase in WBC count

Question 13

Which WBC arrives at the site of injury 1st and is responsible for acute inflammation?

Answer 13

Neutrophils

Question 14

Which WBC are not involved in the inflammatory process?

Answer 14

1) Platelets

2) Erythrocytes

Question 15

What is the end site for inflammation?

Answer 15

Phagocytosis

Question 16

What are the 5 cardinal signs of inflammation?

Answer 16

1) Redness
2) Swelling
3) Pain
4) Heat
5) Loss of function

Question 17

What are the 8 general signs and symptoms of inflammation?

Answer 17

1) Fever
2) Increase blood pressure
3) Raised inflammatory mediators
4) Flu
5) Swelling
6) Anorexia
7) Weight loss

Question 18

What are the 2 types of inflammation and their definition?

Answer 18

Acute (=immediate response to tissue injury) and Chronic (=follows acute if acute persists or some viruses can cause chronic straight away)

Question 19

Which cells dominate in both types of inflammation?

Answer 19

Acute - Neutrophils

Chronic - Lymphocytes and Macrophages

Question 20

How long does each type of inflammation last for?

Answer 20

Acute - short-lived

Chronic - Prolonged response (weeks - years)

Question 21

What will happen in each type of inflammation?

Answer 21

Acute - full resolution of the tissue

Chronic - tissue destruction

Question 22

What will happen if the tissue is not fully resolved by acute inflammation?

Answer 22

1) Scar formation
2) Abscess
3) Chronic inflammation

Question 23

What are the causes of acute and chronic inflammation?

Answer 23

Acute - 1) Infarction 2) Infection 3) Trauma 4) Burn

Chronic - 1) Acute 2) Prolonged infection 3) Prolonged exposure to toxins 4) Autoimmune disease

Question 24

Name an example for both acute and chronic inflammation?

Answer 24

Acute - Acute appendicitis

Chronic - Autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis and rejected transplant

Question 25

Give 3 reasons why there would be no inflammatory response?

Answer 25

1) Increased susceptibility to infection
2) Delayed wound healing
3) Tissue damage