Bacteriology II Flashcards

1
Q

What are the general characteristics of atypical bacteria? (6)

A
  1. Difficult to culture
  2. Unusual cell wall/absence of cell wall
  3. Specific/unusual cellular staining properties
  4. Usually small size
  5. Most replicate intracellularly
  6. Slow growth
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2
Q

What are common clinical examples of atypical bacteria?

A
  1. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  2. Chlamydia
  3. Mycoplasma
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3
Q

The growth speed of mycobacteria is generally [higher/lower] than that of other bacteria

A

(Much) lower

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4
Q

What makes mycobacteria difficult to stain?

A

Specialized cell wall with a waxy lipid layer

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5
Q

What is the advantage of the specialized cell wall to mycobacteria?

A

They are resistant to killing by phagocytes

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6
Q

What is a common comorbidity found in TB patients?

A

HIV

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7
Q

How many cases of TB are cleared by the innate immune system?

A

~70%

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8
Q

What happens when TB infections are not cleared by the innate immune system?

A

Formation of a Ghon complex -> granulomatous inflammation encasing the infection site

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9
Q

Where does the majority of TB-associated granulomas occur?

A

Lungs

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10
Q

How many % of TB infections become latent?

A

~10%

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11
Q

How many of the granulomatous laesions TB will break down? What happens if they do?

A

1-3% of granulomas (=0,3-1% of all TB infections) will break down, resulting in dissemination of TB through the body

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12
Q

How many % of TB cases immediately disseminate?

A

~3%

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13
Q

What causes reactivation of latent TB?

A

Impairment of the cellular immune system due to various stressors (stress, malnutrition, malignancy, HIV, old age, immunosuppression, diabetes, etc.)

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14
Q

What are two important virulence factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis?

A
  1. Nuog-gene
  2. hip1-gene
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15
Q

What does the nuog gene of TB do? (2)

A
  1. Delays migration of DCs to the lungs
  2. Inhibits apoptosis of infected neutrophils
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16
Q

What does the hip1 gene of TB do? (3)

A
  1. Inhibits inflammasome-dependent macrophage proinflammatory responses
  2. Impairs CD40-mediated costimulatory responses of DCs
  3. Restricts Th17 polarization during infection
17
Q

What is the treatment of tuberculosis? How long does this treatment have to be given?

A

Antibiotics, usually 2 months intensive + 4 months continuation

18
Q

Which compounds are the current first line treatment for TB? (2)

A
  1. Rifampicin
  2. Isonazid
19
Q

What are the 3 main factors contributing to TB drug resistance?

A
  1. Not completing the complete treatment regimen
  2. Pharmacokinetic population variablity (=dosage too low)
  3. Granuloma variation (size, composition, etc.)
20
Q

What is the TB vaccine? What is it based on?

A

BCG, derived from live Mycobacterium bovis

21
Q

What is the disadvantage of the BCG vaccination?

A

May hide infection when testing for TB

22
Q

Which chlamydia species form a danger to humans?

A
  1. C. trachomatis
  2. C. pneumoniae
  3. C. pstittaci
23
Q

What is C. psittaci associated with?

A

Birds, mainly parrots

24
Q

What are the general characteristics of Chlamydia bacteria? (4)

A
  1. Obligate intracellular parasitic bacteria
  2. Gram-
  3. Cannot synthesize ATP -> requires host ATP
  4. Unique biphasic life cycle
25
Q

What are the two phases in the biphasic life cycle of chlamydia?

A
  1. Elementary bodies -> resistant to harsh environmental conditions
  2. Reticulate bodies -> non-infectious, intracellularly replicating form
26
Q

Which two biological variants of Chlamydia trachomatis can be distinguished? Which cell types do they infect?

A
  1. Trachoma -> eye and urogenital epithelial cells
  2. Lymphogranuloma venereum -> macrophages
27
Q

Which of the two biological variants of Chlamydia trachomatis can lead to invasive tissue infections?

A

Lymphogranuloma venereum

28
Q

What is a major complication of chronic/recurrent C. trachomatis eye infections?

A

Blindness (leading preventable cause of blindness worldwide)

29
Q

Where are eye infections with C. trachomatis often found?

A

Children in rural areas of Africa

30
Q

How are eye infections of C. trachomatis spread? (2)

A
  1. Discharge from the eyes
  2. Flies
31
Q

Where are lymphogranuloma venereum infections often found?

A

Genital area

32
Q

What is the disadvantage of lymphogranuloma venereum infections?

A

They are often asymptomatic -> high transmission

33
Q

What are complications of lymphogranuloma venereum? (3)

A
  1. Ectopic pregnancy
  2. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  3. Sterility
34
Q

Which bacterium is frequently found in co-infection with lymphogranuloma venereum?

A

N. gonorrhoea