Clostridia Flashcards
shape
gram + rods
oxygen requirement
strict anaerobe
spore formation?
yes
list the species of clostridium
dificile
perfringens
botulinum
tetani
how does clostridium cause disease symptoms?
produce and release proteinaceous toxin
what induces spore formation?
unfavorable conditions (ie nutrient depletion)
when do spores germinate?
when conditions become favorable for vegetative growth
Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is caused by what strain of clostridium?
C. diff
PMC is characterized by:
yellow plaques filled with fibrin and cellular debris in ulcers of colonic mucosa
what is leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea?
C. diff
C. dificile mode of transmission
endospore (hands of healthcare workers)
disease state of C. diff is usually associated with:
use of antimicrobial drugs (cephalosporins, ampicillin, clindamycin)
true or false? C. diff is harbored in a dormant state in the small intestine of a small % of healthy people
false; harbored in large intestine
how do C. diff spores react to antibiotics?
resistant ; antibiotics kill the normal flora
what causes diarrhea in C. diff?
vegetative spores begin to produce toxin = diarrhea
does C. diff invade the bowel wall?
no, just like E. coli and V. cholera
what are the toxins of C. diff?
Toxin A
Toxin B
which C. diff toxin is the enterotoxin?
Toxin A
what damage does an enterotoxin do?
fluid production and damage to mucosa
which C. diff toxin is the cytotoxin?
Toxin B
what does a cytotoxin do?
rounding of tissue-culture cells
where do C. diff toxins act?
cytoplasm of host cell
how do C. diff toxins act?
glycosylate GTP-binding proteins (Rho, Rac)
what happens when GTP-binding proteins are glycosylated by C. diff toxins?
cells lose cytoskeletal structure and die
what is standard diagnostic for toxin A of C. diff?
ELISA
Where is C. perfringens found?
soil and intestinal tract of animals
where is C. perfringens NOT found?
Sahara desert sand
what is the major pathogen of wound infections, especially war wounds?
C. perfringens
true or false? C. perfringens causes local damage only
false, causes local AND systemic damage because of its invasive properties and toxin production