L14: mycobacterial infections Flashcards
Mycobacterium tuberculosis morphology
Acid fast, mycolic acids, unusual lipids
Obligate aerobes
Slender slightly curved rod shaped bacillus
Non-motile
Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence factors
NO classic virulence factors or toxins
Agents that cause TB infection
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Human only reservoir: respiratory person-to-person
Mycobacterium bovis: cattle, consumption of unpasteurized milk, infected animals/humans
Mycobacterium africanum: west african countries, may be spread through food, opportunistic
higher risk for TB infection
prolonged exposure, crowded housing conditions, close contact, children infected by caregivers, alcoholism, IVDU, malnutrition, DM, immunosuppression, silicosis: pneumoconiosis (inhalation of silica dust)
mycobacterium tuberculosis infects
very old or very young, bimodal distribution, immunocompromised
TB presentation ins infants and immunocompromised
hematogenous dissemination→ meningitis, other sx
TB presentation in older patients
failure of immune system→ reactivation of latent infection
TB MOA
Droplets→ alveoli→ phagocytosis by macrophages→ prevents fusion with lysosomes while allowing nutrient containing vesicles to merge
Innate and cell-mediated host response→ self-destruction of cells and tissues
general symptoms of TB
insidious onset, nonspecific cough, weight loss, night sweats
Immune competent: confined to lungs, contained in a few weeks, most resolve TB infection
Immediate resolution of TB
cleared by alveolar macrophages, no active case of TB
Primary active TB
Restricted to lower lung, (+)skin test
granuloma→ +/- progression and calcification→ CXR: tubercles, ghon bodies
Progressive primary TB/Active TB
Immune system can’t stop bacteria from multiplying
One/both upper lobes involved
Contagious, exp: immunocompromised
Latent infection TB
Well patients with inactive TB bacteria
May be viable in lesions for long periods
No symptoms, not contagious
how to kill TB
pasteurization as they’re heat sensitive
Skin testing of TB
MTB protein derivative (PPD): Mantoux skin test
Measures size of induration after 48-72 hours
what’s a “booster”?
a person with past TB infection but minimal PPD reaction→ 2nd skin test
why is TB difficult to stain/culture
Unusual lipids + mycolic acids
slow growth phenotype
how to stain TB
Acid fast→ resist decolorization→ Ziehl-Neelsen or Kinyoun stains
MTB
TB test: stimulates isolated T cell to produce IFN-gamma→ quantify
GeneXpert
TB nucleic acid amplification test: presence of MTB and rifampin resistance
non TB mycobacterial agents (2)
Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium kansasii
Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium kansasii morphology
Weakly G+ aerobic bacilli
Acid fast
Slow growing
Opportunistic
how MAC and MK presents in middle aged/older male smokers
cavitary lesions resemble TB
how MAC and MK presents in Elderly female non-smokers
patchy or nodular CXR
Lady windermere’s syndrome
other MAC and MK presentation
Solitary pulmonary nodule
how MAC and MK presents in AIDs patients
Disseminated disease: no organ spared
HAART and abx prophylaxis→ less infections
how to definitively identify MAC/MK
PCR for 16S rRNA sequence
MAC/MK on culture
acid fast
MAC and MK are spread by
Any water source, soil, plants: ingestion
NO person-to-person transmission: no isolation required
Mycobacterium abscesses
Especially in cystic fibrosis: drug resistance=hard to treat
Rare in normal population
Cell wall of TB
peptidoglycan layer
Mycolic acids
Lipoarabinomannan
Cord factor
Mycolic acids
long chain fatty acids prevent dehydration, resist H2O2
Lipoarabinomannan
mycoside: glycolipid mycolic acid + disaccharide
Cord factor
inhibits cell mediated immunity, scavenges reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI)
Insidious TB reactivation
cough, weight loss, ever, fatigue, night sweats, chest pain
Lesions in TB reactivation
caseous lesions with necrosis→ erosion→ discharge TB bacilli into bronchi→ contagious
Miliary TB reactivation
Erode blood vessels→ hematogenous spread to other body sites: any organ→ miliary TB (massive spread)