Acute Inflammation Flashcards
What is inflammation?
A complex reaction of vascularised connective tissue to local injury
What are the purposes of inflammation? (3)
1) Contain/isolate injurious stimulus
2) Destroy/dilute/wall off agents to neutralise toxins
1 + 2 = LIMIT DAMAGE
3) Repair damage caused
What is inflammation classified according to?
Time course
What are the two types of inflammation?
- Chronic
- Acute
What is acute inflammation?
Inflammation of relatively short duration. Quick response
What is chronic inflammation?
Inflammation of relatively long duration
What does acute inflammation response time depend on? (2)
- Pathogen causing injury
- Body ability to respond to injury
What are the two parts that make up the name given to an infection?
- Name of organ/tissue
- Suffix “itis”
What are the 5 signs of acute inflammation?
- Heat
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Loss of function
What is heat and redness caused by in acute inflammation?
Hyperaemia (increased blood flow)
What is swelling caused by in acute inflammation?
Increased amount of fluid in tissue (exudate)
What 2 things is pain caused by in acute inflammation?
- Neural damage
- Chemical mediators e.g across gland
Why is pain important in acute inflammation?
For awareness of event
What can loss of function be caused by in acute inflammation?
Pain
-
What does loss of function be caused in acute inflammation depend on?
Specific part affected by inflammation e.g reduced mobility in joint
What are the 3 processes an injury triggers in acute inflammation?
- Vascular changes
- Cellular events
- Chemical mediators
What is the first immediate vascular reaction in acute inflammation?
Rapid transient vasoconstriction of arterioles to reduce blood flow
Why is there an initial rapid transient vasoconstriction of arterioles to limit blood flow in acute inflammation?
Limit pathogenic spread
What is the change in vascular calibre after the initial transient vasoconstriction in acute inflammation?
Vasodilation to increase blood flow to capillaries
What activates the vasodilation after initial transient vasoconstriction in acute inflammation?
Chemical mediators activated
Causes damaged tissues releasing INF and interleukins
- Nitric oxide released
- Dilates vessels
What activates the vasodilation after initial transient vasoconstriction in acute inflammation? (4)
- Chemical mediators activated
- Causes damaged tissues releasing INF and interleukins
- Nitric oxide released
- Dilates vessels
Why is there vasodilation after initial transient vasoconstriction in acute inflammation? (2)
- Dilute pathogenic agent
- Increases WBCS locally
What changes occur in vascular calibre during acute inflammation?
Rapid transient vasoconstriction of arterioles followed by vasodilation
What changes occur in blood flow during acute inflammation?
Initial reduction of blood flow followed by increased blood flow to capillaries
What changes occur in vascular permeability during acute inflammation?
Increased permeability of microvasculature
What is the purpose of increased permeability of microvasculature during acute inflammation? (4)
- Blood vessels leak fluid and protein
- Losing protein reduces oncotic pressure in vessels
- Favours fluid movement to interstitium
- Allows migration of WBCs from vessel to interstitium
What is exudate? (3)
- Protein rich fluid from plasma (similar protein levels)
- Inflammatory
- Extravascular
What is tissue swelling/oedema caused by in acute inflammation? (3)
- Increased hydrostatic pressure
- Decreased osmotic gradient
- Increased fluid in interstitium
Is swelling always a sign of inflammation?
No
What is the colour of exudate the same colour as?
Plasma
What is inflammatory swelling caused by?
Oedema due to accumulation of exudate
What is the specific gravity of exudate?
More than 1.020
What is non inflammatory swelling caused by?
Oedema due to accumulation of transudate
What is transudate? (3)
- Ultrafiltrate of blood
- Low protein
- No inflammatory cells
What is the specific gravity of transudate?
Less than 1.012
What is transudate swelling often found in and why?
Pregnancy due to increased BP
List the cellular events that occur in acute inflammation (3)
- Leucocyte transmigration
- Leucocyte degranulation
- Phagocytosis
Why is leucocyte transmigration necessary in acute inflammation?
Leucocytes need to move from circulation to damage site
What are the two steps to leucocyte transmigration and degranulation in acute inflammation?
- Extravasation
- Migration
What occurs in extravasation during leucocyte transmigration and degranulation in acute inflammation?
Endothelial cells and leuocytes express mutually recognising adhesion molecules
How do leucocytes migrate during leucocyte transmigration and degranulation in acute inflammation? (2)
Leuocytes “roll” from one adhesion molecule to another on endothelium
- Until eventually reach molecule enabling transmembrane WBC movement
What allows leucocytes to “roll” loosely during leucocyte transmigration and degranulation in acute inflammation?
Bonds to adhesion molecules are not very strong
What ensures leucocytes migrate towards the wound site in leucocyte transmigration and degranulation in acute inflammation? (2)
- More adhesion proteins closer to wound site
- Follow conc. gradients of chemicals and inflammatory mediators (chemotaxis)
Define chemotaxis
Movement of a cell in direction due to gradient of increasing or decreasing concentration of a particular substance
What is phagocytosis?
Phagocytes binding to material to ingest in multistep process
Give 2 examples of material ingested in phagocytosis
- Bacteria
- Necrotic tissue
What are the steps of phagocytosis? (3)
- Recognition and attachment
- Engulfment
- Killing/degradation
How does recognition and attachment occur in phagocytosis? (2)
- Through own cell receptor
- Molecules released by other cells bound to agent to eliminate
How does engulfment occur in phagocytosis?
Pseudopodia surrounds agent producing a vacuole
What is the vacuole produced in phagocytosis engulfment called?
Phagosome
How does killing/degradation occur in phagocytosis? (2)
- Lysosomal granules fuse with phagosome
- Activates destruction by releasing chemicals
What chemicals are released to activate killing/degradation in phagocytosis?
- Lysozymes
- Proteases
- Hydrolase (oxygen independent)
- Toxic superoxides (oxygen dependant)
What are the two types of chemical mediators released in acute inflammation?
- Plasma mediators
- Cell mediators
What occurs when leucocytes reach the inflammation site after transmigration?
Release cytokines (degranulation)
What are plasma mediators?
Present in precursor form and need to be activated
What are the 3 types of plasma mediator?
- Cogulation system
- Kinin system
- Complement system
What are cell mediators?
- Normally sequestered in intracellular granules (released from cells in inflammatory process)
- Synthesised de novo