Bacterial Toxins and Anaerobes Flashcards
4 properties of a successful pathogen
- Gain access into host: correct portal of entry
- Colonize host tissue: Attachment to specific host tissue
- Resist host-defense mechanism: Non-specific (TLR and cytokines and macrophage) or specific (Aquired T and B cell mediated)
- Damage host: Pathogens
two mechanisms of pathogenicity
- Invasiveness: ability to enter host (and replicate in it)
2. Toxigenicity (ability to produce a toxin)
Where is anaerobic bacteria usually located
hundred of species of anaerobes on mucosal surfaces
How many anaerobic species are important in human pathogens
only a few
Describe the composition of infection by anaerobes
mixed, opportunistic infections. Include either/both aerobic or anaerobic bacteria
Describe how anaerobes are sensitive to O2 intermediates
- they have little superoxide dismutase to remove O2 radicals
- they have low amounts of catalase to remove H2O2
- they often lack cytochromes so usually metabolize via fermentation
Site of infections for anaerobic gram negative pathogens
colon ( intra-abdominal abscess) mouth and skin
infections by anaerobic gram negative pathogens are often foul smelling-why?
due to short chain fatty acids produced during fermentations
anaerobic gram negative pathogens do fermentation metabolism and therefore are often
gas producing
Describe the Poly-microbial nature of the anaerobic infection
infections often due to the contamination of tissue by
normal flora
How do you isolate isolate anaerobic pathogens
culture techniques
anaerobic gram negative pathogens are often void of pathogens
aerobic bacteria (anoxic environment)
Common gram negativ anaerobic pathogen
Bacteriodes fragilis
Most intra-abdominal infections are due to
Bacteriodes fragilis
-common inhbaitant of bowel
Virulence factor for Bacteriodes fragilis
-polysaccharide capsule (anti-phagocytic)
-Bacteroides are aerotolerant anaerobes able to tolerate
atmospheric concentrations of oxygen.
-Bacteroides encode two major oxidative stress
response genes, catalase and superoxide dismutase.
•B. fragilis often isolated in mixed bacterial infection with;
- other anaerobes
- with facultative anaerobes (often Peptostreptococcus (gram positive anaerobic cocci) in intra-abdominal abscess
Describe the structure of Bacteriodes fragilis
pleomorphic often bacilli
What should you grow bacteria in if you want to see if it is Bacteriodes fragilis
bile salts ans gentamicin
most aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are inhibited by bile salts and gentamicinexcept for Bacteriodes fragilis.
While Bacteriodes fragilis are the most intra-abdominal infections, the types of pathogens isolated in other surgical sites differ:
- sites of infection are pathogen-specific
- mixed infections are common
Surgical site infections in cardiac surgery patients
gram-positive organisms 48%
gram negative organisms 40%
fungi 12%
Clostridia
Anaerobic gram positive, spore forming bacili
obligate anaerobes or aerotolerant
Pathogenesis of clostridia
-due invasiveness or an exotoxin
Physiology of clostridia
either saccharolytic – sugars
or
proteolytic – amino acid
Where doe sclostridia live
soil inhabitant or inhabitant of intestinal tract
Invasive clostridia
histotoxic: C. perfringens
produces alpha toxin (pholpholipase) causes tissue damage
Toxin producing clostridia: gastrointestinal disease:
C. difficile (Toxin A and Toxin B)