introductory clinical sciences Flashcards
define acute inflammation
the initial and often transient series of tissue reactions to injury
what are the stages of acute inflammation
- Initial reaction to injury
- Vascular - dilation of vessels and increased permeability
- formation of exudate - vascular leakage of protein rich fluid
- recruiting of neutrophil polymorph to tissue
- outcome
what are the different outcomes of acute inflammation?
- resolution
- suppuration - due to excess exudate
- organisation and repair - due to excessive necrosis
- progression to chronic inflammation - persistant causal agent
what are the clinical features of acute inflammation and why do these occur?
- Rubor/redness - due to vasodilation
- Calor/heat - due to hyperaemia and chemical mediators of inflammation
- Tumor/swelling - due to leakage of exudate (oedema) and physical mass of cells migrating
- Dolor/pain - due to stretching and distorting of tissues, and bradykinin, prostaglandins and serotonin.
What is the diagnostic histological feature of acute inflammation?
Accumulation of the neutrophil polymorph in extracellular space
What are the stages of emigration of the neutrophil polymorph to a tissue?
- margination
- pavementing
- passing through spaces between endothelial cells
- pass through basal lamina and migrate into adventitia
define chronic inflammation
subsequent and often prolonged tissue reactions following the initial response to tissue injury.
which cells are involved in chronic inflammation and what are their roles?
- Macrophages - phagocytose, carry debris away, may present antigens
- fibroblasts - form collagen
- lymphocytes - antibodies attract other cells, immunological memory
- endothelial cells - line capillary blood vessels, become sticky in area so inflammatory cells adhere to them, Become porous so that inflammatory cells pass into tissues. Grow into areas of damage to form new capillaries
what is the role of the neutrophil polymorph in acute inflammation?
contain granules with enzymes to kill bacteria, die at scene releasing chemicals to attract other cells
describe and explain the causes of inflammation
- microbial infections
Viruses kill cells by intracellular multiplication
Bacteria release endo and exotoxins that kill cells - hypersensitivity reactions - when an altered state of immunological responsiveness causes an inappropriate or excessive immune reaction
- physical agents - trauma, UV, burns, frostbite
- chemicals
- tissue necrosis releases peptides which causes an inflammatory response.
what is a granuloma made of?
cluster of epitheloid histiocytes
explain how a histocytic giant cell is formed
- when particulate matter ingestible by macrophages accumulates which have cell walls containing mycelia acids
- foreign particles unable to be digested by just one macrophage
- macrophages fuse when trying to engulf the same particle
why do blood clots not form in a normal circulation?
- laminar flow - blood flows in middle of vessel
2. endothelial cells not sticky when healthy.
define thrombosis
formation of a solid mass from blood constituents in an intact vessel in a living person
define embolism
the process of a solid mass in a blood vessel being carried through the circulation to a place where it gets stuck and blocks the vessel
what are the four possible outcomes of a thrombus
- lysis and degeneration
- bits break off
- organisation
- recanalisation - capillaries grow through thrombus
define infarction
reduction in blood flow to a tissue that is so reduced that it cannot support mere maintenance of the cells in that tissue, causing cell death
why does a reperfusion injury happen
due to reactive oxygen species being released when o2 is restored causing damage to cells
what are the three causes of thrombosis (and explain)
- change in vessel wall - damage exposes collagen to which platelets can stick, RBC can get trapped also. combination of RBC and platelets form a thrombus. (platelets cause fibrinogen —-> fibrin)
- change in blood flow - laminar —> turbulent flow in damaged vessels. Slower blood flow causes RBC to stick to endothelial wall
- change in blood constituents - clotting proteins
define apoptosis
programmed cell death
define atheroma
degeneration of the walls of arteries caused by accumulated fatty deposits and scar tissue
how does an atheroma form
- LDL’s infiltrate epithelium
- macrophages drawn to site
- they fill with lipids
- become foam cells
- accumulate in endothelial lining
- lesions called atheroma’s form
describe the positives and negatives of apoptosis
good points . kill bad cells - during embryonic development they die in certain areas - dead cells in the epidermis and gut bad points - lack of apoptosis = cancer - in HIV there is too much
how is apoptosis started by a cell
- due to DNA damage (base alteration, single strand or double strand break)
- detect via P53 protein - can switch on apoptosis if too much cell damage