CNS Infections- Neurotoxins & Treatments Flashcards
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
- Floppy (hypotonic) paralysis
- demyelination of PNS
- autoimmune disease –primarily molecular mimicry of Ab first raised against Campylobacter jejuni antigens
Botulism
- Floppy (hypotonic) paralysis
- an exotoxin/neurotoxin that inhibits nerves at the neuromuscular junction / PNS
- Clostridium botulinum elaborates the exotoxin
Botulism toxin acts at the _________ paralyzing of the cholinergic nerve fibers at the point, inhibiting the release of _______
myoneural/neuromuscular junction (not the CNS, unlike tetanus
acetylcholine
Botulism toxin blocks both cholinergic transmission points in the autonomic system:
- Blocks at Synaptic ganglia
- Blocks at Parasympathetic motor end plates peripherally located in the junction between the nerve cell and muscle cell fibers.
Botulism- Anticholinergic/inhibition of the parasympathetics, with no effect on the sympathetic nerves results in such symptoms as _________________
dilated and un-responsive pupils, dry mouth, and constipation
Botulism- Progressive neuromuscular blockade of muscles innervated by ________ occurs first, then the _____ (systemic generalized muscle weakness), and finally the _____ (peripheral motor weakness) and diaphragm.
Later complications include paralytic ileus, severe constipation, and urinary retention. Ocular and cranial muscle weakness occurs first because neuromuscular junctions of these muscles have _____________.
cranial nerves
trunk
extremities
the lowest threshold for synaptic failure
Polio virus
- Floppy (hypotonic) paralysis
- kills neurons
Tetanus
- Spastic (Rigid, hypertonic) paralysis
- mimics some S & S of meningitis
- an exotoxin/neurotoxin inhibits nerves in the CNS/spinal column
- Clostridium tetani elaborates the exotoxin/neurotoxin
- Pathogenesis of Tetanus- It is transported to ___________ (e.g. Renshaw cells- Interneurons are small neurons that that are involved in local processing of nerve signals and which generally have _________).
inhibitory interneurons
inhibitory activities
- Pathogenesis of Tetanus- It irreversibly inhibits the ____________, producing a presynaptic blockade of these cells. It does NOT act on the synapses of ________ that handle acetylcholine transmission. Absence of inhibitory Renshaw cell activity allows lower motor neurons to _________ and permits simultaneous contractions of both agonist and antagonist muscles”.
release of inhibitory transmitter substances, γ-aminobutyric acid and glycine
Renshaw cells
increase muscle tone and rigidity
- Pathogenesis of Tetanus- Toxin is rapidly transported _________ where it inhibits interneurons so that normal ______ feed-back of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems is disrupted and ONLY _______ of these systems occurs, resulting in severe disruption of autonomic function in late, severe, general tetanus
up the spinal column to reach the brain stem &/or hypothalamus
INHIBITORY
positive feed-back
Most common cause of generalized paralysis in US, caused by the host’s immune response to a mucosal infection
Guillain-Bare’ syndrome
peripheral nerve involvement
Guillain-Bare’ syndrome, caused by host’s immune response to a mucosal infection by
(4 agents)
- C. jejune (GI tract)
- influenza virus (Resp tract)
- Chlamydia spp (Resp tract)
- Chlamydia sp. (GU tract)
Leprosy is caused by
Mycobacterium leprae
peripheral nerve involvement
Botulism is caused by
Clostridium botulinum
peripheral nerve involvement
Myasthenia gravis causes
(peripheral nerve involvement)
weakness
Direct smear of CSF (~30% sensitive) that is gram stained may show these Gram-positive agents:
- Listeria monocytogenes
- S. pneumoniae
- S. agalactiae
Direct smear of CSF (~30% sensitive) that is gram stained may show these Gram-negative agents:
- H. influenzae, type b
- N. meningitidis
- E. coli K1
- K. pneumoniae
A Gram stain of CSF is positive in 60% to 90% of cases, but results vary with the organism as well as with the concentration of bacteria in the CSF. In terms of bacterial concentrations, the CSF Gram stain is positive in up to 97% of cases when there are______ of fluid as opposed to around 25% when there are _____ of fluid.
> 10/ml
Order of sensitivity of on common organisms (to be found in CSF)
- S pneumoniae, 90%;
- H influenzae, 86%;
- N meningitidis, 75%;
- Gram-negative bacilli, 50%;
- L monocytogenes, less than 50%.
What stains acid fast?
What stains with India Ink?
What stains on Saline wet mount?
acid-fast stain: Mycobacterium
India ink preparation: Cryptococcus
Saline wet mount: Naegleria fowleri
14-3-3 chaperone brain protein is elevated in pts with
(normal:
- cerebrovascular events/acccidents (CVAs)
- viral encephalitis
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (prions)
Hypoglycorrhachia (low glucose in CSF) and Hyperproteinosis are related: In a patient with bacteria meningitis, albumin (protein) from the brain parenchyma enters the CSF (increases it) and this protein movement disrupts the protein gradient that normally exists between the CSF and blood. The protein gradient between the blood and CSF is used to ________. Thus high protein levels in the CSF stops __________ so glucose levels are low in the CSF. This is why a normal CSF glucose level is ____ of the blood glucose level.
co-transport glucose from the blood to the CSF
co-transport of glucose
~80%
Normal CSF is ___________ , Not straw-colored like serous fluid, which contains β2-transferrin.
a clear, colorless fluid
In meningitis patients, during Gram-staining of CSF specimens, CSF protein is heat-fixed to the glass slide and stains _____, making detection of _______ difficult. This pink background is present regardless of cell wall architecture of the bacteria being stained.
pale pink
any Gram-negative bacteria in the CSF
Culture and sensitivity of sedimented CSF (~50% sensitive) – Order MIC and MBC (need 10xs normal MBC)
CSF cultures are positive in ______ of cases
70% to 85%
Describe antigen testing/latex agglutination test of CSF fluid
- Latex spheres coated with antibody detects presence of capsular Ag in CSF.
- Very low (7%) sensitivity except with positive Gram-stain or culture positive specimen
Antigen testing/latex agglutination testing can detect
- S. pneumoniae
- H. influenzae, type b (Hib)
- N. meningitidis
- Cryptococcal antigen
VDRL testing is done for
syphilis
PCR test for specific agents of
- enteroviruses (RT-PCR)
- herpes simplex virus
- JC virus
- HIV (RT-PCR)
Additional detection methods (investigational level) for patient with bacterial meningitis
Procalcitonin (increased)
Vesicular skin lesions are stained with ________ for skin biopsy to look for presence of ________
Tzanck or Papanicolaou stained skin biopsy
HSV
Purpuric skin lesions, are caused by _________ and use _________ to detect them.
S. pneumonia, N. meningitidis
Gram-stained smear of skin biopsy specimen and Culture and sensitivity (MIC, MBC)