Clinical sciences Flashcards
What are funnel plots used for?
Used to demonstrate publication bias in meta analysases
How do you interpret funnel plots?
Symmetrical, inverted funnel shape - pub bias unlikely
asymmetrical funnel - relationship present between treatment effect and study size –> publication bias or systematic difference between smaller and larger studies (small study effects)
thin acending loop of henle - what can and cant get through?
Impermeable to water
Highly permeable to Na and Cl
early-onset breast cancer, sarcoma and leukaemia
Condition? gene?
Li-Fraumeni syndrome - p53 mutation
What is p53 gene for?
Crucial role in cell cycle - prevents entery into S phase until DNA has been checked and repaired
May also regulate apoptosis
Which pneumocytes secrete surfactant?
Pneumocyte type 2 - can differentiate into type 1 during lung damage
Difference between cranial and nephrogenic DI
Cranial - deficiency of ADH
Nephrogenic - insensitivity to ADH
Where does ADH act and what does it do?
ADH promotes water reabsorption via insertion of aquaporin 2 channels in collect ducts
What triggers release of ADH?
extracellular fluid osmolality increase
volume decrease
pressure decrease
angiotensin II
What reduces secretion of ADH?
extracellular fluid osmolality decrease
volume increase
temperature decrease
C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) protein deficiency - consequence?
causes hereditary angioedema
C1-INH is a multifunctional serine protease inhibitor
probable mechanism is uncontrolled release of bradykinin resulting in oedema of tissues
C1q, C1rs, C2, C4 deficiency (classical pathway components) - consequence?
predisposes to immune complex disease
e.g. SLE, Henoch-Schonlein Purpura
C3 deficiency - consequence?
causes recurrent bacterial infections
C5 deficiency - consequence?
predisposes to Leiner disease
recurrent diarrhoea, wasting and seborrhoeic dermatitis
C5-9 deficiency - consequence?
encodes the membrane attack complex (MAC)
particularly prone to Neisseria meningitidis infection
What diseases is endothelin involved in?
primary pulmonary hypertension (endothelin antagonists are now used),
cardiac failure,
hepatorenal syndrome
and Raynaud’s.
Calculation of absolute risk reduction?
Absolute risk reduction = (Control event rate) - (Experimental event rate)
Where in nephron does majority of glucose reabsorption occur?
Proximal convoluted tubule
What is the genetic phenomenon of anticipation? Which disorders are more likley to experience this?
earlier onset in successive generations
Particularly present in trinucleotide repeat disorders
Most common cause of Down Syndrome (genetically)
Nondisjunction
prenatal tests showing low circulating levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and an abnormal nuchal translucency screening test
Diagnosis?
Downs syndrome
Examples of mitochondrially inherited disease?
Leber’s optic atrophy
symptoms typically develop at around the age of 30 years
central scotoma → loss of colour vision → rapid onset of significant visual impairment
MELAS syndrome: mitochondrial encephalomyopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes
MERRF syndrome: myoclonus epilepsy with ragged-red fibres
Kearns-Sayre syndrome: onset in patients < 20 years old, external ophthalmoplegia, retinitis pigmentosa. Ptosis may be seen
sensorineural hearing loss
Children of fathers with mitochondrialy inherited disease?
For a man with mitochondrial disease, none of his children will inherit the condition
What is Gaucher’s disease? How does it present?
Gaucher’s disease is an autosomal recessive disease and it is the most common lipid storage disorder
Leads to accumulation of glucocerebrosidase in brain, liver and spleen
Present with hepatosplenomegaly and aseptic necrosis of femur