First Aid, Chapter 7 Hypersensitivity Disorders, Asthma Flashcards
What cells are increased in the airways of asthmatics?
Mainly eosinophils; however, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and other cells are also typical
Are mast cells increased in the airways of asthmatics?
Airway mast cells are primarily longstanding tissuedwelling cells. In asthma, the number of mast cells is not increased, but they are activated and show frequent degranulation
What cellular infiltrate in asthmatics is a hallmark of fatal asthma?
Neutrophilic accumulation
In asthma, airway cellular recruitment involves what proinflammatory processes?
- Upregulation of adhesion molecule expression
- Arachidonic acid metabolite production (including LTB4)
- Chemokine synthesis (including IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1), and RANTES)
- Cytokine secretion (IL-1, IL-4, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, TNFa IL-6, GM-CSF, and transforming growth factor beta [TGFB).
What do Th2 cytokines do in asthma?
Th2 cytokines (IL-4, 5, 13) induce isotype switching of B lymphocytes to IgE-producing plasma cells and support eosinophil survival, whereas others promote mast cell (stem cell factor, SCF) and basophil (IL-3) development.
What are the changes that occur in the airway smooth muscle in asthmatics?
Airway smooth muscle is hypertrophied in the smaller airways and hyperplastic in the larger airways.
How much is airway wall thickness increased in asthma?
Asthmatics have increased airway wall thickness (50–300% in fatal asthma and 10–100% in nonfatal asthma compared with nonasthmatics).
What tissues and layers does thickening occur in in asthmatics? What materials are some of the layers made of and what cells are they produced by?
Thickening occurs in smooth muscle, epithelium, submucosa, adventitia, and mucosal glands. Angiogenesis also occurs. Thickening of the lamina reticularis occurs below the basement membrane, composed largely of collagen types III and V, likely produced by myofibroblasts beneath the epithelium.
What are mucus plugs composed of?
Mucus, serum proteins, inflammatory cells, and cellular debris.
What causes excess mucus in asthma?
Excess mucus is due to hypertrophy and hyperplasia of submucosal glands, promoted by IL-9.
How does the epithelia in asthmatics become damaged?
Damage to the epithelial cells may be due to eosinophil-derived products, active radicals of oxygen, or proteins from neutrophils or mast cells (e.g., tryptase, chymase).
When epithelia is repaired in asthmatics, what is the resultant tissue like compared to normal tissue?
Instead of pseudostratified, ciliated columnar cells, the regenerated cells are simple, stratified, nonciliated epithelium or goblet cells.
What are characteristic features of asthmatic sputum?
- Curschmann’s spirals: Associated with excess mucus production (see Figure 5-9).
- Creola bodies: Clusters of surface airway epithelial cells (Figure 5-9).
- Charcot-Leyden crystals (CLC): A classic finding. The CLC protein is produced in eosinophils and released in eosinophilic disorders, including asthma. These appear as colorless, needle-shaped structures (Figure 5-9).)
Does early life exposure to pet and farm animals protect against asthma?
No, just protects against allergies.
Sensitization to what allergen by age 6 is associated with persistent asthma by age 11?
Alternaria
Exposure to what allergen in older children correlates with wheezing and airway hyperresponsiveness?
Dust mites
What are the gender differences seen in asthma?
Boys have a higher prevalence than girls until the ages of 15–17; the opposite is seen after that age.
How do viruses and other infections associate with asthma?
Viruses and other infections are associated with asthma in several ways:
- Viruses such as RSV may produce symptoms of asthma in infants (see Bronchiolitis section).
- In asthmatics, viral infections are a common trigger.
What is the role of chromosome 5q?
On chromosome 5q, the genes 5q31-33, known as the interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene cluster, may play an important role in inflammation in atopy and asthma
What is the role of IL-4 in atopy?
IL-4 plays a key role in inducing synthesis of IgE and Th2 differentiation. A polymorphism in the IL-4 promoter was identified that increased transcription of IL-4 with resultant high serum levels of IgE.
What gene polymorphisms are associated with decreased responses to b2 agonists?
The β2-adrenoreceptor gene, also in this region, is highly polymorphic. Polymorphisms including Arg-16 → Gly and Gln 27 → Glu are associated with decreased responses to β2 agonists.
What is CD14? What is a polymorphism of CD14 associated with?
CD14, is a recognition coreceptor with TLR4 for endotoxin (bacterial lipopolysaccharide) and is important for innate responses to bacterial infection, leading to a shift towards Th1 cell responses. A polymorphism in a soluble form of CD14 (sCD14) was associated with high levels of sCD14 and low levels of IgE.
What is the significance of chromosome 20p13? What gene is found on it?
Chromosome 20p13 was found to contain a locus that was linked to asthma. On the locus, the disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM 33) gene was associated with asthma. It may play a role in the function of airway smooth muscle leading to airway hyperreactivity or remodeling.
What are chitinase-like proteins (including chitotriosidase [CHIT 1] and YKL-40)?
An area of research as susceptibility genes for asthma.
What are diagnostic features of asthma?
Recurrent episodes of airflow obstruction (i.e., obstruction is at least partially reversible; an increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) >200 mL and > 12% from baseline after inhaling short-acting β2 agonist [SABA] is specified in the American Thoracic Society definition of reversibility) or airway hyperresponsiveness (the airways react too readily and too much; demonstrated by methacholine challenge).
What causes loss of function over time with asthma?
Declining and irreversible loss of lung function over time is generally attributed to airway remodeling, which is thought to be a tissue response to recurrent injury or inflammation.
What are features of remodeling in asthma?
- Subepithelial fibrosis
- Increase in thickness of the small airways
- Angiogenesis
- Mucosal gland hypertrophy
What is the most frequent infectious cause of asthma exacerbations?
Rhinovirus