Asthma

Question 1

What is asthma? (3 points pls Luke)

Answer 1

A chronic inflammatory disease of airways, characterised by airway obstruction and bronchospasm.
Will cause variable, episodic airflow obstruction that is reversible spontaneously or with treatment.
SYmptoms include wheezing, coughing, shotness of breath and sputum production. AIRWAY HYPERRESPONSIVENESS.

Question 2

What are three feautures of asthma?

Answer 2

Chronic; episodic and life threatening.

Question 3

Symptoms

Answer 3

Wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, sputum, CAN BE WORSE AT NIGHT. When diagnosing, look at recurrent symptoms and spirometry shows variable obstruction.

Question 4

What things can trigger symptoms?

Answer 4

COldness/ wet environs
exercise
mould
a family history
dust mites

Question 5

How would asthma prest with spirometry?

Answer 5

A decreased FEV1, a decreased FVC( not as much) so a lower FEV1/FVC

Question 6

What is atopic asthma?

Answer 6

The more common early onset asthma triggered by environmental antigens. A family history is common and can be triggered by allergic rhinitis, uticaria or eczema

Question 7

How can asthma respond to an allergen?

Answer 7

Acute Phase response- response occurs 5-10 minutes, loss of function.
Late Phase response: 4-6 hours post
Dual Phase.

Question 8

How do the allergens work at a cellular level?

Answer 8

Epithelial cells and dendritic cells respond first. Both of these activate mast cells which cause SM to constrict.
Dendritic cells activate type 2 helper cells (NB a genetic predisposition to TH2 cells raises likelihood of getting asthma). These stimulate mast cells and stimulate eosinophils and B cells, making antibodies that cause mast cell activation.

Question 9

What is non atopic asthma?

Answer 9

Later onset asthmas that occur post infection/ based on drugs.

Question 10

What are the key mediators in asthma? (8)

Answer 10

Leukotrienes: made by mast cells and eosinophils. They cause edema and prolonged SM constriction.
Protanoids: bronchoconstrictors.
Ach: cause bronchoconstriction (muscarinic receptors)
Chemokines
IgE: antibodies that stimukate mast cells
NO: way of seeing severity
Granule proteins released by inflammatory cells (MBP and ECP)
Adhesion molecules.