L5-8: Inflammation Flashcards
Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis
- Endothelial injury, which causes (among other things) increased vascular permeability, leukocyte adhesion, and thrombosis
- Accumulation of lipoproteins (LDL and its oxidised forms) on the vessel wall.
- Monocyte adhere to the endothelium and migrate into the intima where they transform into macrophages and foam cells.
- Platelet adhesion can ultimately cause thrombosis.
- Factor release from activated platelets, macrophages and vascular wall cells induce smooth muscle recruitment either from the ‘media’ or circulating precursors.
- Smooth muscle then proliferates and ECM production occurs.
- Lipid accumulates extracellularly as well as within cells
Necrotic centre is composed of
cell debris, cholesterol crystals, foam cells, calcium
Fibrous cap is composed of
smooth muscle cells, macrophages, foam cells, lymphocytes, collagen, elastin, proteoglycans, neovascularasiation
Inflammatory markers of AMI
troponin and creatine phosphokinase
How can the infarct be modified?
- Restoration of blood flow via thrombolysis (streptokinase or tissue plasminogen activator that activates fibrinolytic enzymes and dissolves thrombus), balloon angioplasty (physical intervention via catheters to break apart blockage), or coronary arterial bypass graft
Cell source of reperfusion injury
cytoplasmic xanthine oxidase is activated by white blood cells which creates ROS/free radicals
Timeline evolution of infarct site
Day 3-4: monocyte infiltration
Day 7-10: phagocytosis of necrotic cells
Day 21: ‘Repair’ (collagen)
>Day 60: Scar tissue
myocytes survive infarct event if reperfusion occurs within
20 minutes
DEFINE: emphysema
irreversible enlargement of airspaces, distal to terminal bronchiole
Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) mode of action and role
inhibit HDACs which condense chromatin
Exudative phase of ARDS
Acute state
Interstitial /alveolar oedema, sloughing type 1 cells
Hyaline membrane formation
Features of acute vs. chronic inflammation
Onset: acute - minutes or hours; chronic - days
Cellular infiltrate: acute - mainly neutrophils; chronic - monocytes/macrophages, lymphocytes
Tissue injury/fibrosis: acute - usually mild, self-limited; chronic - severe
Sequence of events in an inflammatory reaction
- Brief arteriolar vasoconstriction followed by vasodilation - increased blood flow. Increased intravascular pressure causes an early transudate (protein-poor filtrate of plasma) into the interstetium.
- Increased vascular PERMEABILITY, enabling plasma proteins and leukocytes to leave circulation, forming oedema.
- RECRUITMENT of leukocytes from microcirculation, accumulation and activation of leukocytes
T or F:
Most mediators have long half-lives.
False, most mediators have short half-lives.
Mechanisms of vasodilation and vascular leakage/oedema in acute inflammation
Pressure balance between hydrostatic pressure (blood pressure) and colloid osmotic pressure (exerted by proteins such as albumin to draw water into circulatory system) is disrupted by fluid and protein leakage due to vasodilation and stasis. Exudate forms with a high protein content. This is followed by a transudate (low protein content)
Key mediators of vasodilation
- Nitric oxide (NO): short-acting soluble free radical produced by endothelial cells, macrophages which causes vascular smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation, kills microbes in activated macrophages and counteracts platelet adhesion, aggregation and degranulation
- Amines e.g. histamine - vasodilation and venular endothelial cell contraction, junctional widening; released by mast cells, basophils, platelets in response to injury
Vascular permeability mechanism
- Histamines, bradykinins, leukotrienes cause an immediate but transient response in the form of endothelial cell contraction that widens endothelial intercellular gaps. Cytokine mediators (TNF, IL-1) induce endothelial cell junction retraction through cytoskeleton reorganisation and breakdown of junction proteins.
- Can also be caused by immediate direct endothelial cell damage (necrosis, detachment) or maybe caused by delayed damage as in thermal, UV injury or some bacterial toxins.
- Certain mediators (VEGF) can also cause increased transcytosis via intracellular vesicles from luminal to basement membrae
Leukocyte exiting vasculature mechanism
- Margination and rolling: with increased vascular permeability, fluid leaves vessel causing leukocytes to marginate along the endothelial surface. Receptors such as L- and P-selectins produced in response to injury attach to receptors on leukocytes such as proteoglycans and integrins. This induces rolling
- Adhesion and transmigration: adhesion occurs through receptor-ligand interaction between leukocyte and endothelial cell. Endothelial cells upregulate glyproteins such as ICAM-1 in response to injury which then bind to cell surface receptors on leukocytes such as LFA-1. Transmigration occurs after firm adhesion within capillaries via PECAM-1
- Chemotaxis and activation
Clotting cascade
Begins with Hageman factor which exists in an inactive state. Activated to XIIa within platelets. XIIa activates thrombin which in turn converts soluble fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin clot.
Kinin cascade
Leads to formation of bradykinin from cleavage of precursor (HMWK) through kallikrein.
Bradykinin involved in vascular permeability, arteriolar dilation, non-vascular smooth muscle contraction (e.g. bronchial smooth muscle), increased nociception. Rapidly inactivated via kininases
Complement system
Activation of complement leads to cleavage of C3. C3a and C5a are involved in recruitment and activation of leukocytes and destruction of microbes.
Arachidonic acid metabolites and their roles in inflammation
Phospholipases derived from phospholipids that make up membrane initiate a series of events depending upon the function of various other factors down two major pathways to produce either cyclooxygenases which go on to produce prostaglandins (smooth muscle activators), or 5-lipooxygenase which produces leukotrienes involved in vascular permeability. Steroids inhibit phospholipase conversion to arachidonic acid. COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors include aspirin which inhibit cyclooxygenase.
Inhibiting cytokine driven inflammation
Inhibitory cytokines (e.g. IL-10)
Reduce cytokine producing cells (e.g. cytostatics)
Inhibitors of signal transduction (e.g. cyclosporin)
Regulation of gene expression (e.g. glucocorticosteroids)
Reduction in circulating cytokines (e.g. Abs, soluble receptors)
Fever mechanism
Cytokine-mediated (especially IL-1, IL-6, TNF)
Acute myocardial infarction - pathogenesis at cellular level
- Cell death by necrosis and apoptosis - occurs rapidly post-ischaemia. Apoptosis inhibitors reduce infarct size.
- Reperfusion - in <20 mins myocytes surive infarct event
- No reperfusion - necrosis complete in 6-12 hours
Inflammatory markers of AMI used as diagnostic biomarkers
Troponin I
Creatine phosphokinase
Myoglobin