Exam 3 Flashcards
What is Autoimmunity?
Breakdown of tolerance
-Body recognizes self-antigens as foreign (usually these are not normally seen by the immune system)
What is Lupus?
Chronic multi-system inflammatory disease
Autoantibodies against nuclei acids, erythrocytes, phospholipids, platelets…
What are symptoms or findings of Lupus?
Arthritis (90%)
Vasculitis and Rash (70-80%)
Renal Disease (40-50%)
Hematologist changes (50%)
Cardiovascular Disease (30-50%)
Malar rash (butterfly)
Photosensitivity
Oral or Nasopharyngeal ulcers
How many findings must be present for Lupus to be indicated?
At least 4
How is Lupus treated?
Immunosuppressants
What is Alloimmunity and an example?
Immune system reacts with antigens on the tissue of other genetically dissimilar members of the same species
Rh incompatibility - hemolytic disease of newborn
Blood transfusion reactions - ABO blood groups
What is DiGeorge Syndrome?
Partial or complete absence of T cell immunity
Small part of Chromosome 22 is missing (22q11.2 deletion)
Don’t develop a thymus, thyroid, or parathyroid
Facial Anomalies: wide-set eyes; low-set ears; shorted structure of upper lip
What are examples of diseases associated with loss of T cells?
DiGeorge Syndrome
Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis
How is HIV transmitted?
Blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, or across the placenta
Most common through equal intercourse, contaminated blood products, and contaminated needles
How does HIV infect?
Virus invades Helper T-Cells, Macrophages, and Dendritic cells by “tricking” them to internalize viruses by receptor mediated endocytosis
Reverse transcriptase (retrovirus) uses viral RNA as a template esto synthesize DNA, where this new DNA can be inserted into cost cell DNA and remain dormant for months to years
What is Stage 1 of HIV?
Acute
Minor symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes
T-cell concentration is beginning to decrease slowly while HIV concentration begins to rise
What is Stage 2 of HIV?
Chronic
Loss of immune function; more apparent with the appearance of characteristic diseases such as yeast infections
T cell concentration begins to go very low and HIV concentration continues to soar
How is HIV transitioned to AIDS?
Normal T cell count in AIDS is <200 cell/uL
What are some signs and symptoms of AIDS?
Early: flulike chills, fever
Night sweats, fatigue, headache, extreme weight loss, lymphadenitis
Thrush: white patches on mucosal membranes
Kaposi Sarcoma: cancer originates in epithelial cells of blood vessels and causes purple lesions on skin
What is a Prion?
A rare infectious protein (PrP) that causes proteins to misfold and accumulate
Accumulation prevents nerve-nerve signaling - brain lesions/plaques
What is a Crutzfeldt - Jacob Prion Disease?
Crutzfeldt - Jacob Prion Disease
Progresses rapidly
4-5 month survival (for individuals around 68 years old)
Dementia, difficulty moving, personality changes, hallucinations
Fatal neurodegeneration
How are Prion Diseases diagnosed?
MRI
Spinal Tap
Brain Biopsy (after death)
What is a Virus?
Protein coat surrounding a nuclei acid core of DNA or RNA
What are properties of Viruses?
Incapable of replication outside of a living cell
Can modify host immune system
Can cause the cells to become cancerous
What is Epstein Barr Virus?
Replicates salivary glands
Leads to infectious mononucleosis (mono)
Can lead to nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Burkitt’s Lymphoma (infect B cells, killing them)
What is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever?
Organisms combine the characteristics of viral and bacterial agents to produce disease in humans
From tick bite
Are obligate intracelular pathogens like the viruses
Produce rigid peptidoglycan cell wall
Reproduce asexually by cellular division
Contain RNA and DNA similar to the bacteria
What are symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and how is it treated?
High fever
Chills
Severe headache
Distinctive rash (not itchy)
Treated with doxycycline
What are the infectious disease modes of transmission?
Penetration - disruption of the bodies surface barrier
Direct Contact - infected tissue or secretions to intact mucus membranes
Ingestion - entry through oral cavity and GI tract
Inhalation - respiratory tract
What are some virulence factors?
Toxins - bacteria, fungi, Protozoa (exotoxins and endotoxins)
Adhesion Factors - fimbriae or pili (hairlike projections) and hemagglutinin (cause RBCs to clump together)
Evasive Factors - slime, mucus layers
Invasive Factors - enzymes, destroy cell membranes
What is the difference between Exotoxins and Endotoxins?
Exotoxin - released during bacterial growth; can cause paralysis, vomiting/diarrhea and muscle spasm
Endotoxin - lipopolysaccharides (LPS) cell wall of gram negative bacteria
What is Tetanus?
Disease where spores of the Clostridium tetani bacteria may produce a powerful toxin called tétanoslas in, which enters through wounds in the flesh
Actively impairs motor neurons (nerves that control your muscles)
What are the 3 common sources for Tetanus?
Found in soil, dust, and animal feces
What are symptoms of Tetanus?
Spasms and stiffness in jaw muscles
Stiffness in neck muscles
Difficulty swallowing
Stiffness in abdominal muscles
Painful body spasms triggered by minor occurrences
Fever
Sweating
Elevated blood pressure
Rapid heart rate
What is the treatment for Tetanus?
No cure
Can only be prevented with vaccination (booster shot required within 10 years)
Antitoxin therapy, sedatives, antibiotics
What are the 3 common sources for Clostridum Botulism?
Infant - bacterial spores grow in a baby’s intestinal tract (e.g. eating honey)
Food Borne - bacteria thrive and produce the toxin in environments with little oxygen (e.g., canned foods)
Wound - bacteria get into a cut or wound
What are symptoms of Botulism?
Begin 12-36 hours after infection
Difficulty swallowing or speaking
Dry mouth
Facial weakness on both sides of the face
Blurred or double vision
Drooping eyelids
Trouble breathing
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps
Paralysis - must be placed on ventilator
What is the mechanism of action for the Botulism toxin?
Prevents neurotransmitter release from neurons
Cleaves snare proteins, which prevents AcH from being released from the nerves
Flaccid Paralysis
What are treatments of Botulism?
Clear out digestive tract
Clean out wound
Antitoxin - try to clear out toxin being produced by the bacteria
Respiratory - to support breathing
What are some diagnostic tools for bacterial and viral infection?
Culture
PCR and DNA sequencing - DNA/RNA
Serology
Evidence of pathogen from the infected sites of a diseased host
Documentation of clinical signs and symptoms
What are the two mechanisms of antibiotic action?
BACTERICIDAL: causes irreversible and lethal damage to the bacterial pathogen (kills)
BACTERIOSTATIC: inhibitory effects on bacterial growth are reversed when the agent is eliminated (inhibits) - important to take full course of antibiotics
What is a Yeast Infection?
Candida - part of normal flora, but can cause infection when grows out of control (oral thrush) - most at risk for immune compromised
Candida auris - resistant to several treatments, difficult to identify and a risk for health care facilities
What is Aspergillus Granulomas infection?
Fungal pneumonia with fungal overgrowth in the lung
Illness or immune suppression - genetic mutation in CYBB gene (x-linked)
Aggregation of macrophage attempting to isolate and clear infection
Develop lung infection following inhalation of decaying plant material (mulch, leaves)
What are symptoms of Aspergillus Granulomas and how is it diagnosed?
Fever
Cough
Chest and joint pain
Headache
Skin lesions
Diagnosed through x-ray or CT
How is Aspergillus treated?
Voriconazole - inhibits cell membrane synthesis of ergosterol in fungi via inhibition of cytochrome p450
What is Lymphatic Fiilariasis?
Adult filarías worms nest the lymphatic vessels after being acquired via a mosquito bite in childhood (which can live for 6 - 8 years)
Produce millions of microfilariae (immature oarvase) that circulate in the blood
What are symptoms of Elephantitis?
Infection is asymptomatic
Tissue swelling
Skin thickening
Stigma and decline in mental health
How is Elephantitis treated and prevented?
Treated through DEC, which is no longer approved by FDA, must get from CDC
Prevented through sleeping under a mosquito net, wearing long sleeves and pants, mosquito repellent
What are the stages of disease progression in Elephantitis?
Stage 1 - Edema
Stage 2 - Thickening of skin
Stage 3 - Continued thickening and enlargement
Stage 4 - Dry and scales skin
What are Category A Bioterroism Agents?
Most Dangerous
Highest risk to national security
Easily spread or transmitted
Results in high death rates
Major public health impact
EX: plagie, smallpox
What are Category B Bioterroism Agents?
Second highest priority
Food-borne or water-borne diseases
Moderately easy to desciméntate
Moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates
What are Category C Bioterroism Agents?
Third highest priority
Availability
Ease of production and dissemination
Potential for high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact
EX: TB, Covid-19
What is the difference between Benign and Malignant cancer?
Benign: slow, progressive growth; expansive manner of growth; inability to metastasize to distant sites; composed of cells that resemble the tissue of origin
Malignant: rapid growth; potential to kill regardless of original location; compress blood vessels and grow own blood supply; rob normal tissues of essential nutrients
What is Metastasis and its mechanisms?
Direct invasion and extension
Seeding of cancer cells in body cavities
Metastatic spread through the blood or lymph pathways
What is the purpose of P53?
Initiate DNA repair mechanisms
Keep cells in the G1/S phase of the cell cycle (to allow for time to initiate DNA repair)
Initiate apoptosis of cells with DNA damage
Prevent cells with shortened telomeres from dividing
What is the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell?
INITIATION - cells exposed to carcinogenic agents making them susceptible to malignant transformation (DNA damage)
PROMOTION - unregulated accelerated growth in already initiated cells caused by various chemicals and growth factors (oncogenesis)
PROGRESSION - invasiveness, metastatic competence,
What are the ABCDEs of detecting Melanoma?
ASYMMETRICAL
BORDER
COLOR
DIAMETER
EVOLVING
What are risk factors of Melanoma?
UV light exposure
History of sunburn
Fair skin
Many moles/unusual moles
Family history
Weakened immune system
How can Melanoma be prevented?
Wear sunscreen year round (SPF 30m every 2 hours)
Wear protective clothing
Avoid mid day sun exposure
Avoid tanning beds, UV lamps
Pay attention to skin to notice changes
How is Melanoma diagnosed?
Physical exam
Bunch or excision biopsy
Determine the thickness
Check for spread to local area lymph node
CT to ID metastasis to lung and liver
How is Melanoma treated?
Surgery to remove affected lymph nodes
Immunotherapy
Targeted therapy
Radiation
Chemotherapy
What is a Teratoma?
Tumor of reproductive cells and stem cells that occurs in the ovaries or testicles (“MONSTER”)
Benign is most common
Most common in women
What are characteristics of a Teratoma?
Mature tissues develop:
Hair
Skin
Teeth
Sebaceous glands
Bone
Cartilage
How is a Teratoma treated?
Removal of benign cyst
What are cancer treatment modes?
Surgery
Radiation
Chemotherapy
Hormonal therapy
Targeted therapy
Biotherapy
What are some possible long term effects of chemotherapy?
Hypogonadism, infertility, and early menopause
What proteins are impacted by Botulism toxin?
Snare proteins
What are 3 bacterial functions/structures that antibiotics target?
Interference with a specific step in bacterial wall synthesis
Inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis
Interruption of bacterial nuclei acid synesthesia
Interference with normal bacterial metabolism
