GI tract Flashcards
are there more aerobic or anaerobic bact in the GI tract?
anaerobic (10^11 vs 10^8) respectively
most common aerobe in the GI tract?
E. coli
normal intestinal flora serves to…
protect us from infection with intestinal pathogens
how many different species are present in each individual’s GI tract?
500-1000
host’s non specific defenses agst GI pathogens
stomach acid, intestinal motility, intestinal flora
disease in stomach/small intestine is generally accompanied with…
bloating, nausea, vomiting and/or indigestion
what tpe of diarrhea is associated with pathogen in small intestine?
large-volume watery diarrhea, since 90% of the intestine’s capacity to adsorb liquid = in small intestine
disease in the colon is generally associated with
cramps, tenesmus (fecal urgency) and diarrhea that consists of frequent small-volume loss stools
a pathogen that does not cause fever, elevated WBC or high PMNs in stool is generally located where and how does it cause disease?
these organisms usually cause disease by the elaboration of toxins that induce cellular secretion or disrupt ion exchange (cholera toxin, heat-labile toxin) generally cause these effects in the small intestine
fever, elevated WBC and PMN in the stool generally indicate what about the org?
that they’ve invaded the intestinal epithelium or elaborate cytotoxins (eg clostridial toxins A and B) therevy causing structural damage to intestinal cells
bacterial diarrhea in the small intestine usually resolves itself within how many days? what about diarrhea of the colon?
small intestine: 2-3 days, colon: 5-7 days
C. diff disease
colitis, charcterized with: abdo cramping, leukocytosis (lots of WBCs– more than 20k for c diff) and high fevers
C. diff
gram stain/shape:
oxgen status:
spore forming?
C. diff
gram stain/shape: gram positive bacillis
oxgen status: obligate anaerobes
spore forming? yes- spores = highly resistant dormant forms of bact. that return to being active growing bacterium when nutrients are avb
where are c diff spores found? how are they spread?
widely in envt, but particularly in hospital, nurseries, nursing homes, bathrooms
spread: fecal/oral
risk factors for c diff
abx elderly age debilitated state PPIs GI surgery
how is c diff usually detected?
a test is performed for the cytotoxicity rather than culturing the organism
pathogenesis
organisms colonize the colon and cause a colitis, this may involve the formation of pseudomenbrane (psudomembranous colitis)
mechanism of C diff toxin A and Toxin B (TcdA and TcdB)
bind cell surface receptors —> receptor mediated endocytosis —>uptake toxin into endocytic vacuoles –> acidic pH triggers translocation of toxin into the cytosol —> acts as glucosyltransferase on cellular Rho GTPases (which are responsible for mntnc/modulation of cell structure, shape and mvmt– regulate dynamics of cellular actin cytoskeleton)—> inactivating them
what two things have allowed for a more virulent strain of C diff
- deletion mutation of TcdC gene that encodesa negative regulator of TcdA and TcdB. So these strains express Toxin A and B at higher levels
- the production of a third toxin called Binary Toxin which is encoded by the genes TcdA and TcdB and ADP ribosylates actin leading to dell death
pseudomembranes– what are they? what do they represent
they are an accumulation of necrotic tissue caused by toxin-induced necrosis of mucosal cells, which may involve the entire thickness of the mucosa during c diff. “Pseudomembranous colitis” is caused by a severe form of the disease from C diff
txt of C diff
metronidazole (flagyl) which is active agst anaerobes or vancomycin (active agst GP orgs). Vancomycin = poorly absorbed—> high conc. in GI lumen
*relapses are common (10-25%)- retreatment with the same/alt therapy = gen successful
Enterohemmorrhagic E coli (EHEC) disease
hemorrhagic colitis: watery diarrhea with intense abdo pain followed by bloody diarrhea. Pts generally afebrile