Lecture 17: Bacterial STIs Flashcards
Neisseria Characteristics
- Gram neg.
- diplococci w. adj. sides flattened together
- polysaccharide capsule on meningitidis, but not gonorrheae
- 13 serogroups
Does N. gonorrheae or N. meningitidis have a polysaccharide capsule?
what does this capsule help do?
N. meningitidis
- helps the org. move deeper into the host to get into the meninges and brain to cause inflammation
what serogroups are we concerned with and why?
A, B, C, W-135, and Y
- these cause human disease
Virulence factors of N. Meningitidis
- polysaccharide capsule
- pili
- PorA and PorB expression
- Opa proteins
- Rmp (reduction-modifiable proteins)
- Lipooligosaccharide (LOS)
- release “blebs” during growth
- IgA1 protease
Virulence factors of N. gonorrhoeae
- pili
- PorB expression
- Opa proteins
- Rmp (reduction-modifiable proteins)
- Lipooligosaccharide (LOS)
- release “blebs” during growth
- IgA1 protease
how do pili help Neisseria spp.?
- attachment, genetic transfer, and motility
- expression ass. w/ virulence: attachment to non-ciliated epithelial cells, resistance to neutrophils
- conserved N-terminal, variable C-terminal
- pilC contributes to antigenic diversity
how do Porin proteins A and B help Neisseria pathogenesis?
- antigenic variation make them poor vx targets
- they interfere with neutrophil degranulation
- they facilitate invasion into epithelial cells and intracellular survival
- Resistance to C’ mediated killing
how do Opacity proteins (opa proteins) help Neisseria pathogenesis?
- they mediate intimate binding to epithelial and phagocytic cells
- important for cell-cell signalling
- multiple alleles
how do Rmp proteins help Neisseria Spp. affect the host?
they stimulate antibody production that blocks complement
What makes Neisseria a human-specific pathogen?
they bind to host transferrin, lactoferrin, and hemoglobin to scavenge for iron from the host
How is LOS different from LPS?
- only has Lipid A and core oligosaccharide
- Lacks O-antigen polysaccharide
- endotoxin activity present, but not as strong as LPS
What is important about the bleb release with Neisseria spp.?
- they contain LOS and surface proteins
- they enhance endotoxin activity and provide decoys
T/F
IgA1 protease cleaves hinge region to inactivate
true
Pathogenesis of Neisseria spp.
- attached to non-ciliated columnar epithelial cells
- invade:
- -> type IV pili induce endocytosis (pili, PorB, Opa involved)
- transcytosis to reach macrophages
- LOS induces TNFa
- antibodies to LOS activate C’ but Rmp antibodies block C’
- bacterial killing occurs mostly by neutrophils
- MAC complex is effective
Clinical disease of N. meningitidis
- meningitis
- meningococcemia
clinical signs of meningitis
- abrupt onset headache, stiff neck, photophobia, fever
- mortality ~100% if untreated, <10% with antibiotics
- Death can occur within 12 hrs of 1st symptoms
- neurologic sequellae low in survivors, with hearing deficits and arthritis most common, although amputations are often necessary due to damage of the extremities
clinical signs of meningococcemia
- septicemia with or without meningitis
- thrombosis of small blood vessels, multorgan involvement
- small petechial skin lesions on trunk and lower extremities, coalesce to hemorrhagic lesions
- DIC with shock and bilateral destruction of adrenal glands
Strong Diff Dx test for N. meningitidis for those with meningococcemia
pressing down on one of the lesions, and it not disappearing
epidemiology of N. meningitidis
- commonly colonizes nasopharynx of school age and young adults, particularly college students in dorms
- carriage is transient
- humans are only natural carrier
transmission of N. meningitidis
respiratory droplets to close contacts
when is N. meningitidis dz most common?
in dry cold months
N. meningitidis is the ___ most common cause of ____
2nd; community acquired meningitis in adults
Clinical disease of Gonorrhea in men
- purulent urethral discharge an dburning sensation during urination, sometimes painful swollen testicles
percentage of men w/ gonorrhea who have acute symptoms
95%
complications of gonorrhea in men
- epididymitis
- prostatitis
- periurethral abscess