IMMUNE 139 Influenza and Ageing Flashcards
What are the 6 Geriatric Giants?
Confusion, not coping, incontinence, poor mobility, falls and collapse
What 5 domains do you need to check in a comprehensive geriatric assessment?
Medical, mental health, functional capacity, social circumstances and environment
How can pharmacological absorption change with ageing?
Achlorydia
Decreased hepatic blood flow = decreased first pass metabolism
How can pharmacological distribution change with ageing?
Body fat increase = increased distribution of lipophillic drugs
Decreased plasma binding = huge increase in bioavailability
How can pharmacological metabolism change with ageing?
Decrease activity of hepatic phase 1 metabolism
Decreased renal function
What are the two models of frailty?
Phenotype model and Cumulative deficit model
Describe the phenotype model of frailty
5 variables of weight loss, self reported exhaustion, low energy expenditure, slow gait speed and weak grip strength
3+ = frail
1/2 = pre-frail
Describe the cumulative deficit model of frailty
92 variable symptoms, signs or lab results giving a cumulative frequency index
What does a naked virus contain?
Nuceocapsid only - genome and the capsid
Describe receptor-mediated endocytosis
Virus attaches to membrane, membrane invaginates to form coated pit, this pinches off and is acidified to free nucelocapsid
How do DNA containing viruses transcribe?
Using hosts DNA dependant RNA polymerase
What sense is mRNA?
+ve
What type of viruses carry RNA polymerase?
SS -ve RNA and ds +/- RNA
Describe an acute infection?
rapid-onset, short lived
Describe a persistent infection
Remains in body, with or without symptoms
Describe a chronic infection
Persists with symptoms, slow to resolve
Describe a latent infection
Persists but can be reactivated
Describe a subclinical (carrier) infection
Infected, asymptomatic but is still transmissable
Describe an insidious infection
very long incubation before symptomatic
Give an example of a virus that disseminates via nerves
Rabies
What is the most common route of a disseminated infection
Via bloodstream
What areas in the alimentary tract may be sites of antigen uptake and therefore entry of infection
M-cells
How can viral infection indirectly cause damage to the host?
From hosts own immune response
Free radical production
Immunosuppression
How can viral infection directly cause damage to the host?
blocking protein synthesis, cell entry/exit, cytoskeletal breakdown, cell death
When is NO produced?
During acute inflammation
How does aciclovir work?
By replacing guanosine on DNA and therefore blocking replication
What is aciclovir active against?
HSV and VZV
What does aciclovir require to become active and what advantage does this confer?
Requires phosphate addition and needs a viral enzyme for this - targets virally infected cells only
Why is ganciclovir less effective that aciclovir?
Acts on all cells as doesn’t need viral enzyme for phosphorylation
