Blood Flashcards
Which oxygen molecule binds to haemoglobin the easiest?
4th and last one, as quaternary structure changes as each molecule of oxygen is added and makes it progressively easier for more molecules to bind
What is haemoglobin?
Binds oxygen at 4 sites to transport it around body
Tetrameric protein
2 alpha and 2 beta subunits
Each subunit has haem and globin groups
Which factors can cause a rightward shift of the oxygen dissociation curve and therefore haemoglobin has a lower affinity for oxygen?
CADET! CO2 Acid 2-3-DPG Exercise Temperature
What is the Bohr effect?
In acidic conditions, oxygen dissociation curve shifts right and so Hb ha a reduced affinity for oxygen
What is the Haldane effect?
Increasing oxygen binding to Hb decreases affinity for CO2 and H+ ions by modifying quaternary structure
What is inflammation?
Protective mechanism
Rid body of cause of injury
Remove debris and tissue damage secondary to injury
What can cause excessive inflammation?
Inappropriately triggered eg rheumatoid arthritis
Poorly controlled eg abscess - leakage of enzymes from cells
What can cause inadequate inflammation?
Immunodeficiency eg AIDS/HIV
What are the beneficial effects of inflammation?
dilution of toxins entry of antibodies fibrin formation to initialise repair nutrients and oxygen deliver neutrophils stimulation of the immune response entry of drugs
What problems can inflammation cause?
destruction of normal tissue swelling blockage of tubes loss of fluid pain inappropriate inflammation
What 6 things can cause inflammation?
Microbes Foreign bodies Dead cells Allergens Physical trauma and damage Chemical injury
What are the 3 phases of acute inflammation in first 48 hours?
Oedema
Neutrophils
Monocytes/macrophages
What are the 3 hallmark features of chronic inflammation?
Ongoing inflammation
Ongoing tissue destruction
Ongoing tissue repair
What are the 5 cardinal signs of acute inflammation?
Rubor - red Tumor - swelling Calor - heat Dolor - pain Functio laesa - loss of function
How does a tissue injury lead to oedema?
Increased blood flow to area due to opening of capillary beds
Dilation of blood vessels so decreased velocity of flow
Increased leakiness of microvasculature due to squamous endothelium retraction
Plasma proteins and leukocytes infiltrate area
What happens to lymphatics during inflammation?
Increase drainage of excess fluid
Proliferate
Which leukocytes are recruited in acute inflammation?
Neutrophils
What are the 3 phases of cellular changes that occur in acute inflammation?
Recruitment - delivery and extravasation of leukocytes
Accumulation
Activation - recognition of microbes and necrotic tissue, removal of stimulus
Which part of acute inflammatory response can lead to tissue injury?
Activation of leukocytes
What are the 4 stages of recruitment and migration of neutrophils?
Margination
Adhesion
Emigration
Chemotaxis
What is margination?
Dilation of vessels - turbulent flow allows WBC to come into contact with endothelium
Stagnation in the microcirculation displaces cells from the central axial
flow
Rolling occurs in unaffected area due to low affinity receptors
What is adhesion?
In areas of injury, endothelial cells possess high affinity receptors (integrins) and so neutrophils adhere to these receptors. Chemokines at injury site activate integrins
What happens in the process of emigration of neutrophils?
Neutrophils secrete enzymes to digest the basement membrane which allows them to invade the tissue
What is chemotaxis?
Chemokines induce movement of neutrophils. Area of high concentration of chemokines is where most damage is so neutrophils move down concentration gradient
How do neutrophils recognise dead tissue or foreign material?
Directly via mannose receptors
Indirectly via opsonins & Fc and C3b receptors
What is opsonisation?
Marking a foreign body for destruction by phagocytosis
How does neutrophilic phagocytosis occur?
Recognition and attachment
Engulfment
Phagosome fuses with lysosome
Oxygen dependent (free radicals) or independent (enzymes) system degrades microbes
Which microbe can survive neutrophil phagocytosis?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
What part of chronic inflammation can cause scarring?
Fibrous repair
What changes occur that lead from acute to chronic inflammation?
Angiogenesis Mononuclear cell infiltrate Fibrosis (scar) Progressive tissue injury Collagen deposition Loss of function
What are the 4 morphological patterns of inflammation?
Serous - blister
Suppuration - large amount of pus, abscess
Fibrinous - large increase in vascular permeability allows fibrin to pass through. Fibrinous exudate deposited
Ulcers - exposure of lower layers of epithelium
What are the 8 cell derived mediators of inflammation?
Vasoactive amines Arachidonic acid metabolites Platelet activating factor Reactive oxygen species Nitric oxide Cytokines and chemokines Lysosomal constituents Neuropeptides
What are prostaglandins, leukotrienes and lipoxins?
Arachidonic acid metabolites involved in inflammatory process
Which arachidonic acid metabolites cause vasodilation?
Prostaglandins
What do thromboxane A2 and leukotrienes C4, D4 and E4 do?
Cause vasoconstriction
Which cell derived mediators are important in anaphylaxis?
Vasoactive amines - histamine and serotonin
What feature of vasoactive amines makes them rapid acting?
Released from preformed vesicles
What do vasoactive amines do?
Cause dilation of arteries and arterioles
Increased permeability of venules
What does platelet activating factor do?
Platelet aggregation
Vasoconstriction
Bronchoconstriction
Increased AA production
What do reactive oxygen species do in inflammation?
Destruction of ingested particles
Increase chemokines, cytokines and adhesion molecules
Destruction of tissues
What effects does NO have on inflammation?
Control mechanism
Reduces adhesion of leukocytes and platelets
Vasodilation
What do chemokines do?
Promote inflammation and repair
Systemic manifestations - fever, decrease appetite, increase sleep
What is the membrane attack complex?
Complement system c5-9 punches hole in membrane so cell loses equilibrium control and is lysed
In what 3 ways can complement be activated?
Alternative pathway - opsonisation
Classical pathway - antibody
Lectin pathway - mannose binding
What does complement C3b do?
Deposited on microbe
Recognised by phagocyte receptor and phagocytosed
C3a fragment recruits and activates leukocytes
Why is factor XII important?
Activates multiple systems which work together Clotting cascade Complement cascade Kinin cascade Fibrinolytic system
Describe the cycle of chronic inflammation
Recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages
IFN-y activate macrophages
Antigen presentation to T cells - cytokines
T cells release IFN-y
T cells are activated and release TNF, IL17 and chemokines
Further leukocytes are recruited
Macrophages are important in which parts of chronic inflammation?
Continuing inflammatory response
Starting process of repair
What cell mediators cause shock?
Massive quantities of TNF and IL1
When do we see chronic inflammation?
Persisting infection - h pylori gastric ulcer, viral hepatitis, TB
Chronic/autoimmune - bronchitis, crohns, rheumatoid
Foreign material - suture, silica
Inadequate immune response - HIV
Inadequate blood supply - leg ulcer, bed sore
Name a factor that favours continuing ulceration
Insufficient perfusion
When are eosinophils present?
Reactions mediated by IgE and parasitic infections
What are possible outcomes of chronic inflammation?
Atrophy Metaplasia Repair Scarring with dysfunction eg cirrhosis in viral hepatitis Catastrophe eg perforated gastric ulcer
What is lymphoid hyperplasia?
Swollen lymph nodes
What can a C reactive protein (CRP) measurement be used for?
Measure levels of acute inflammation
Name 4 functions of the immune system
Infection and immunity
Inflammatory process
Removal of senescent cells
Defence against neoplasia
Give 3 types of immune disorder
Auto immune
Hypersensitivity
Immunodeficiency
What is serology?
Antibody detection after infection
What is a vaccine?
Prophylactic treatment against infection
What is an antigen?
Substance capable of inducing a specific immune response
Name 3 types of antigen
Microbes, neoplasms and foreign tissue
Give 3 examples of PAMPs (pathogen associated molecular patterns)
Bacterial lipopolysaccharide
Peptidoglycan
Flagellin
Antigens with PAMPs are most likely targeted by which mechanisms?
Innate
Which branch of the immune system provides the immediate response?
Innate
What advantages does the adaptive immune system provide?
Antigen presentation - specific
Clonal selection
Immunological memory
What parts make up the innate immune system?
Epithelial barriers Phagocytes Dendritic cells - antigen presenting cells Complement Natural killer cells
What parts make up the adaptive immune system?
B lymphocytes –> plasma cells, memory cells –> antibody production
T lymphocytes –> helper, memory, suppressor and cytotoxic
What are neutrophils?
Polymorhonuclear phagocytes
First line of defence of innate immune system
What are monocytes and macrophages?
Mononuclear phagocytes
Adaptive antigen presenting cells
What do basophils and mast cells do?
Inflammatory and hypersensitivity responses
What constitutes mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)?
Adenoids and tonsils
Where do T lymphocytes mature?
Thymus
Where does haematopoiesis and B cell maturation occur?
Bone marrow
What are a, B and y globulins?
Acute phase proteins
Innate humoral immunity
Eg complement (B), CRP, pro-calcitonin, mannose binding, antibodies (y)
What is the structure of an antibody?
Light chain - small
Heavy chain - big
Antigen binding site - variable
Y shaped
Which antibody is produced on first contact with antigen?
IgM
Which antibody does the major work and is present in later stages of infection?
IgG
What parts form physical barriers against infection?
Skin
Mucus
Respiratory cilia
Commensal organisms
Which parts form biochemical barriers against infection?
Sebaceous secretions in skin
Lysozyme in tears
Spermine in sperm
Gastric acidity
Which mucosal surfaces do most infections enter the body by?
Nasopharynx
Respiratory tract
Alimentary tract
Genito-urinary tract
What is a risk of intubation in an immuno compromised patient?
Ventilation associated pneumonia
What name is given to the process where microbes are recognised and engulfed which are then killed by the release of toxic chemicals into the enclosed vacuole?
Phagocytosis
What cell types are involved in phagocytosis?
Neutrophils
Macrophages and monocytes
What is neutropenia?
Abnormal low levels of neutrophils
Who might be susceptible to neutropenia?
Someone undergoing chemotherapy
What can a genetic inability to produce toxic chemicals within phagocytes cause?
Immunodeficiency - chronic granulomatous disease
Chadiak higashi syndrome
Describe the 7 stages of phagocytosis
Chemotaxis and adherence of microbe to phagocyte
Ingestion
Formation of phagosome
Fusion of phagosome with lysosome to form phagolysosome
Digestion by enzymes
Formation of residual body containing indigestible material
Discharge of waste material
What is an oxidative burst?
Rapid release of reactive oxygen species from phagocytes
What are natural killer cells?
Innate immune response
Lymphocytes that perform direct and antibody dependent cell toxicity
Which cells do not express MHC class 1?
Malignant or infected cells
What do natural killer cells detect, which activates them?
Lack of MHC class 1 at the cell surface
How do natural killer cells exert their cytotoxic effects?
Pore-forming molecules are inserted into target cell and cytotoxic chemicals are pumped in
In which diseases can NK cells be deficient?
Genetic diseases affecting T lymphocytes
X linked lymphoproliferative syndrome
What are acute phase proteins?
Innate humoral factors
Immediate and non specific cytotoxicity
C reactive protein, pro calcitonin, alkaline phosphatase, ferritin
What does CRP do?
Binds to surface molecules of bacteria and fungi
Inhibitory effects
Promotes complement binding
What are complement proteins and where are they made?
20 of them
B globulins
Produced by liver
Work in cascade
What 3 pathways can activate complement system?
Alternative - microbe activated
Classical - antibody activated
Lectin - mannose binding lectin activated
What does MHC stand for?
Major histocompatibility complex
Which cells express MHC class II?
Antigen presenting cells
Which cells will MHC class I be presented to?
Cytotoxic t lymphocytes