Infectious diseases: Pathology - Viral infections Flashcards
What type of virus is rhinovirus?
Unencapsulated icosahedral ssRNA
How does rhinovirus induce mucus hypersecretion?
Binds to ICAM-1 on epithelial cells of upper respiratory tract and induces mucus secretion via bradykinin release
Describe the structure of influenza and how this relates to its type and subtype
8 helices of ssRNA
Bound by nucleoprotein which determines the type of virus (A, B, C)
Enclosed by lipid bilayer containing haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA; determines viral subtype H1 to H3 and N1 or N2)
What kind of protection do host antibodies to influenza haemagglutinin and neuraminidase confer?
Antibodies to HA prevent future infection
Antibodies to NA ameliorate future infection
Describe the morphological features of influenza infection
Produces mucosal hyperaemia and swelling with predominantly lymphomonocytic and plasmacytic infiltrate, and mucus hypersecretion
What is the difference between type A and type B/C influenza in terms of their virulence?
Type A is a major cause of pandemics and epidemics, and undergoes antigenic drift and shift
Type B/C mostly infects children, who develop antibodies that effectively prevent re-infection (because these viral types are not subject to antigenic drift or shift)
Explain the difference between antigenic shift and drift
Antigenic drift: mutation of surface HA and NA -> responsible for regional epidemics
Antigenic shift: HA and NA replaced through recombination of RNA segments with animal virus -> responsible for pandemics
What increases risk of bacterial superinfection in influenza? What organisms are typically implicated?
In laryngotracheobronchitis and bronchiolitis, mucociliary function is impaired which increases risk of bacterial superinfection (e.g. pneumococcus, Staphylococcus, Haemophilus)
What are the three mechanisms of immune clearance of influenza?
- Cytotoxic T cells: kill virus-infected cells
- Intracellular anti-influenza protein Mx1: induced in macrophages by stimulation with IFN-alpha and IFN-beta
- Acquired immunity to HA and NA (but not long-lived in influenza A due to antigenic drift/shift)
What type of virus are herpesviruses?
Large encapsulated dsDNA
What is the typical pattern of infection of herpesviruses?
Cause acute infection followed by latent infection with periodic reactivation
How many herpesviruses are there? How are they classified?
8: 3x alpha-group, 3x beta-group, 2x gamma-group
Three alpha-group herpesviruses and the infective syndromes caused by each
- HSV-1: cold sores, herpetic whitlow
- HSV-2: genital sores
- VZV: chickenpox, shingles
Three beta-group herpesviruses and the infective syndromes caused by each
- CMV: asymptomatic (except in utero or in immunosuppression)
- HHV-6: roseola infantum
- HHV-7
Two gamma-group herpesviruses and the infective syndromes caused by each
- EBV: infectious mononucleosis
- HHV-8: Kaposi sarcoma
What cells are infected by alpha-group herpesviruses, and in which cells do they become latent?
Infect epithelial cells
Produce latent infection in neurons (typically dorsal root sensory ganglia)
What cells are infected by beta-group herpesviruses?
Infect variety of cell types
In which cells do gamma-group herpesviruses become latent?
Produce latent infection mainly in lymphoid tissue
Five infective syndromes caused by HSV-1
- Skin/mucosal ulceration (cold sores)
- Herpetic whitlow
- Corneal epithelial damage and blindness
- Encephalitis
- Disseminated in immunodeficiency
Two virulence factors of HSV-1
- Inhibit MHC class I pathways (evade cytotoxic T cells)
- Produce Fc receptors to inhibit complement and evade humoral responses