GI infections Flashcards
what is the main infection for the GIT
- clostridium difficile
what are the host defences in the mouth
- flow of liquids
- saliva
- lysozyme
- normal bacterial flora
what are the host defences in the oesophagus
- flow of liquids
- peristalsis
what are the host defences in stomach
- acid pH
what are the host defences in small intestine
- flow of gut contents
- peristalsis
- mucus, bile
- secretory IgA
- lymphoid tissue
what are the host defences in the large intestine
- normal flora
- peristalsis
- shedding and replication of epithelium
- mucus
what happens to the organisms that don’t die in the mouth
- goe through to the stomach where they are hit with the stomach acid
do microbes increase in amount as you go through the GIT
- yes
why are most microbes good
- selectively inhibit microorganisms
what are ‘good bacteria’ in the body
- 99% of anaerobes
- microbes in the gut produce secondary metabolites which other organisms digest
are drinks such as Yakult any good
- no
- the microbes in these all die in the stomach and so don’t actually do anything
when is C. Dif a problem
- not a problem for healthy people
- only a problem when it is in a susceptible environment such as the hospital
what are some examples of good bacterial flora
- bifidobacterial
- E. coli
- lactobacilli
what are bifidobacterial
- the various strains help to regulate levels of other bacteria in the gut
- modulate the immune response to invading pathogens
- prevent tumour formation and produce vitamins
what do E. coli do
- several types inhabit the human gut
- they are involved in the production of vitamin K2 which is needed for blood clotting
- but some strains can lead to illness
what do lactobacilli do
- beneficial varieties produce vitamins and nutrients
- boost immunity
- protect against carcinogens
what are some bad bacterial flora -
- campylobacter
- enterococcus faecus
- clostridium difficile
what does campolybacter do
- C jejune and C coli are most commonly associated wit disease
- infections usually occur through the ingestion contaminated food
what does enterococcus faecaus do
- common cause of post-surgical infections
what does clostridium difficile do
- most harmful following a course of antibiotics when it is able to proliferate
what are some causative agents of GI infections
- bacteria
- virus
- protozoa
what is helicobacter pylori
- H. pylori
- associated with 90% of duodenal ulcers
- associated with 70-80% of gastric ulcers
- causes increased risk of gastric cancer = kills
how does H. pylori cause infection
- bugs swim to gastric mucosa
- cause inflammation of the mucosa
- then get an ulcer = duodenal or gastric
- often affects lower part of stomach antrum
what can sever consequences of H. pylori cause
- bleeding ulcers or perforated ulcers
- will cough up blood
what was Koch’s experiment
- showed H.pylori was a bacteria causing cancer
- give antibiotics to treat
- he drank H. pylori and then developed gastric ulcers and treated himself and won the Nobel Peace prize
how do H. pylori work
- able to get into the stomach and attach to the epithelial cells and release toxins and then endothelial cells try to kill the bacteria but by doing this they induce inflammatory response that disrupts the barrier and causes ulcers
where is H. pylori most prevalent
- developing world
- 50-90% are infected in developing world
- low prevalence in developed world