Infectious Disease Flashcards
Prokaryotes
no membrane bound organelle; no nucleus so nuclear material is free inside of cell; bacteria are prokaryotes
Eukaryotes
membrane bound organelle that contain a nucleus; these include plant and animal cells, protozoa and fungi
Bacteria
single cell organism where the cell wall is a key component - helps differentiate gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria
Gram (+) bacteria characteristics
thicker cells wall organisms (up to 40 sheets of peptidoglycan - 50% of cell wall); the thicker layer retains the gram stain and makes them purple; contains lipoteichoic acids (LTA) that drive lots of immune infections
Gram (-) bacteria characteristics
thinner cell wall (very few sheets of peptidoglycan - 5-10% of cell wall) with an ADDED outer membrane that contains lipopolysaccharides (LPS) makes people VERY VERY sick (sicker than gram (+)); Periplasm (space between cell membrane and outer-membrane) contains B-lactamase (inactivates antibiotics)
Peptides are always attached to what molecule in the peptidoglycan structure?
N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM); not NAG; some antibiotics act on peptidoglycan - penicillin and cephalosporins
Unique cell wall bacteria
- Mycoplasma (can cause interstitial pneumonia) - no cell wall, does NOT gram stain; the membrane has sterols for extra stability
- Mycobacteria (TB or leprosy) - cell wall has mycolic acid so does NOT stain well, needs a special Ziehl-Neelsen stain
- Chlamydia (STD and other infections) - lacks muramic acid
Cell membrane of bacteria
present in gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria; there is where electron transport (in humans takes place in mitochondria) and oxidative phosphorylation occurs
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
an ENDOTOXIN - only on gram (-) bacteria on their outer membrane; contains 3 components:
- polysaccharide
- Lipid A - HIGHLY toxic; triggers cytokine release (TNF and IL-1) - sepsis/septic shock
- O antigen - target for antibodies
Capsule
sticky gelatinous layer that both gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria can have that helps attach to host cells and also protects against phagocytosis; they are mostly made up of water and polysaccharides w/ ONE exception:
Bacillus anthraces (anthrax) - peptide capsule (d-glutamate); major virulence factor that allows for unimpeded growth; pts get REALLY sick!
Capsules and Immunology
B-cells secrete IgG and these bind/tag the capsule for phagocytosis; antibodies can also activate complement - formation of MAC (cell death) and formation of C3b (opsonin)
pt population who are at risk of recurrent encapsulated bacterial infections
pt who have loss of antibodies or complement or have had their spleen removed or sickle cell anemia pts (asplenia) loss of splenic phagocytes
Capsular vaccines for encapsulated bacteria
Neisseria meningitides
Streptococcus pneumonia
Haemophilus influenza type b
Glycocalyx
similar to a capsule, but is a “sugar coat” made of polysaccharides; irregular, slimy fuzzy layer that is used to adhere to surfaces (mainly catheters); pts with a IV line or a folly placement watch for Strep epidermidis - skin flora! (creates biofilms)
Spores and why are they so resistant?
Coat:
outermost layer “keratin-like” protein that is impermeable to many chemicals and antibacterial agents
Core:
Innermost layer compress of peptidoglycan
Dipicolinic acid:
large amounts inside spore that helps with heat resistance
5 major examples of spore forming bacteria
- Bacillus anthracis - potential weapon of bioterroism
- Bacillus cereus - food poisoning
- Clostridium perfringens - food poisoning
- Clostridium tetani - food poisoning
- Clostridium botulism - food poisoning
Key bacteria with Pili and Fimbria
structurally similar to flagella; made of protein and is more like an appendage or arm of the bacteria; allow for adherence or attaches to another bacteria and allow for conjugation - antigenic variation
E. coli - UTIs/Pyelonephritis (adherence)
Neisseria Gonorrhea (antigenic variation)
bacterium that is a common cause of pneumonia and respiratory failure in CF pts
Pseudomonas aeruginosa; oxidase (+) gram (-) rod; bacteria frequently colonize and form biofilms that allow for the bacterium to evade the immune system via their glycocalyx
Most cocci are gram (+) bugs, what are the gram (-) exceptions?
Neisseria (meningitis/gonorrhea) and Moraxella catarrhalis
most rods are gram (-) bugs, what are the few gram (+) exceptions?
Corynebacterium (diphtheria)
Clostridium
Listeria
Bacillus (anthrax, cereus)
Branching/Filamentous bacteria
resembles fungi
Actinomyces
Nocardia
Spirochetes
treponema (syphilis)
borrelia (Lyme disease)
leptospira (leptospirosis)
the one gram (+) vibrio (curved/coma shaped) bacterium?
Vibrio cholerae (cholera)
The two pleomorphic bacteria
can take any shape; also both are intracellular pathogens
Rickettsia
Chlamydia
gram stain steps
bacterium that do not stain well
- Treponema (syphilis) to thin to see
- Mycobacteria (TB) - mycelia acid in cell wall
- Mycoplasma (interstitial pneumonia) - no cell wall (Eaton’s agar)
- Intracellular bacteria (need to be a cell to grow)
-Rickettsia
-Chlamydia
-Legionella
Giemsa Stain
useful stain to get inside of cells
Protozoa: Plasmodium and Trypanosomes
Intracellular: Chlamydia, Rickettsia and Borrelia (sometimes intracellular)
Ziehl-Neelsen Stain
“acid-fast” stain - contains carbolfuchsin
Used to detach mycobacterium (TB) and can be used for Nocardia
Silver Stain is a special stain for which 3 organisms?
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (HIV/AIDs pt) - causes fungal infection and diffuse interstitial pneumonia
- Legionella - contaminated water (nursing homes) and causes pneumonia
- H. pylori (gastric ulcers)
India Ink
it is a negative stain that stains the background and NOT the bug, so unstained organisms stand out. Used primarily for cryptococcus neoformans which is a fungi that exists as a yeast
Bug that produces as golden/yellow pigment?
Staph aureus
Bug that produces as blue-green pigment?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (pyocyanin)
Bug that produces a red pigment?
Serratia
Bug that produces colonies that have a yellow-orange appearance?
Actinomyces - filamentous bacteria that “comets” together - known as “sulfur granules”
Thayer-Martin is a selective media that only grow which bug?
Neisseria
Only which type of bacteria grow on a Eosin Methylene Blue agar?
selective because only gram (-) bacteria; also a differential agar because lactose fermenters grow
Fastidious bacteria
organisms that require special nutrients to grow:
H. influenza - chocolate agar
Legionella - buffered charcoal yeast extract
Chocolate Agar
a variant of blood agar used for H. influenza - contains red blood cells that are lysed; contain NAD (factor V) and hemming (factor X)
Note: H. influenza will grow on a blood agar if Staph aureus is present (because is beta hemolytic and completely lysis the blood)