B1 R&C Lec2 : Mycobacterium tuberculosis Flashcards
Important properties of M. tuberculosis
- grows slowly
- it has a doubling time of 18 hours (in contrast to most bacteria, which can double in number in 1 hour or less)
Why cultures of clinical specimens must be held for 6 to 8 weeks before being recorded as negative?
*Because growth is so slow.
• Media used for its growth (e.g., Löwenstein-Jensen medium).
• M. tuberculosis is an obligate aerobe; this explains its predilection for causing disease in highly oxygenated tissue
What does the special media of M. tuberculosis contain ?
- Complex nutrients (e.g., egg yolk)
- Dyes (e.g., malachite green) to inhibit the unwanted normal flora in sputum samples
Mycobacteria is a gram positive or negative?
It’s neither , because they are stained poorly by the dyes used in Gram stain
What is an acid base organism?
organism’s ability to retain the carbolfuchsin stain despite subsequent treatment with an ethanolhydrochloric acid mixture
Why is M.tuberculosis an acid-fast property ?
attributed to high lipid content of their cell wall in the form of long-chain fatty acids called mycolic acids
What is cord factor in M.tuberculosis?
a glycolipid in the cell wall of M. tuberculosis that inhibits phagosome-lysosome fusion and prevents lysis of phagocytosed mycobacteria.
Virulent strains grow in a characteristic “serpentine” cordlike pattern, whereas avirulent strains do not
Which proteins cause delayed hypersensitivity?
antigens in the purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test (tuberculin skin test)
What is M. tuberculosis resistant to ?
- Acids and alkalis
- Dehydration
- Drug resistance
- Mutations in a gene for mycolic acid synthesis
- mutations in a gene for catalase-peroxidase
What is the function of catalase peroxidase?
an enzyme required to activate isoniazid within the bacterium
How is M.tuberculosis transmitted?
from person to person by respiratory aerosols mostly generated by the coughing
What is the initial site of M.tuberculosis?
Lung
Who is the natural reservoir of M.tuberculosis ?
Humans
Which other organism causes tuberculosis in developing countries ?
Mycobacterium bovis
Where is M.bovis found ?
found in cow’s milk, which, unless pasteurized, can cause gastrointestinal tuberculosis in humans
Who is in a risk of M.bovis infection?
highest among socioeconomically disadvantaged people, who have poor housing and poor nutrition
M.tuberculosis preferably infects which cells?
- infects macrophages (alveolar macrophages lung)
- other reticuloendothelial cells.
Which type of hypersensitivity is M.tuberculosis?
Type IV hypersensitivity - Delayed T cell-mediated reactions
M. tuberculosis produces no ____________ and does not contain__________ in its cell wall.
no exotoxins ; endotoxin
Explain the pathogenesis of M.tuberculosis
1.Mycobacteria are phagocytosed, survives and multiplies in alveolar macrophages within a cellular vacuole called a phagosome
- CD4+ T cells (T helper cells) recognize mycobacterial antigens that are presented by macrophages
- CD4+ T cells then differentiate into Th1 cells, which release IFN-γ to recruit and activate macrophages
- Activated macrophages differentiate into epithelioid cells, which aggregate and fuse into multinucleated giant cells (Langhans giant cells)
- Aggregation of epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells and CD4+ T cells around a necrotic cellular center leads to the formation of caseating granulomas
What is a caseating granulomas?
Aggregation of epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells and CD4+ T cells around a necrotic cellular center
After recovery from the primary infection, resistance to the organism is mediated by ___________
cellular immunity
Cellular immunity occur by?
by CD4-positive T cells and macrophages
*The CD4 positive T cells are Th-1 helper T cells
What is the role of Circulating antibodies after primary infection?
They are formed but they play no role in resistance and are not used for diagnostic purposes.
Who are at higher risk for disseminated, life threatening tuberculosis?
AIDS , acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
How is the prior infection detected?
by Positive tuberculin skin test
What is the tuberculin skin test due to?
due to a delayed hypersensitivity reaction
What is the antigen in tuberculin skin test?
purified protein derivative , PPD, injected intradermally
How is the tuberculin skin test performed?
Evaluated by measuring the diameter of the induration surrounding the skin test site 48 hours later
What is observed in a positive tuberculin skin test?
Induration (thickening), not simply erythema (reddening) must be observed
What are the determined factors that judge the diameter required in the Tuberculin test?
—-> Induration of 5 mm or more is positive in :
a person who has deficient cell-mediated immunity (e.g., AIDS patients) or has been in close contact with a person with active tuberculosis
—-> Induration of 10 mm or more is positive in :
a person with highrisk factors, such as a homeless person, intravenous drug users, or nursing home residents
—-> Induration of 15 mm or more is positive in :
all other individuals i.e: with no known risk factors
What does a positive tuberculin Test indicates ?
result indicates previous infection by the organism but not necessarily active disease
When does the tuberculin test becomes positive?
4 to 6 weeks after infection
Which vaccine also cause a positive test?
bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)
In BCG the reactions are how much in mm?
usually only 5 to 10 mm and tend to decrease with time