lecture 2/tutorial 1 - acute inflammation Flashcards
What are the systemic signs of acute inflammation?
fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, pain
What are the 2 physiological components of acute inflammation?
vascular and cellular responses
What is the overall response of the vascular component of acute inflammation?
Vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, congestion
What is the overall response of the cellular component of acute inflammation?
emigration of leukocytes
Which leukocytes are granulocytes?
neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils
What are granulocytes?
Leukocytes that have granules in their cytoplasm.
What is the role of band cells?
They are immature neutrophils, that are common in early stages of infection as more neutrophils are being made to fight it.
What is the role of neutrophils?
Phagocytose microbes and release granules to help combat infection
What are monocytes?
The name for undifferentiated macrophages (and monocyte dendritic cells) before they reach tissue, and are still in the circulation.
What are eosinophils?
Leukocytes that combat parasitic infections, and are also involved in the pathogenesis of allergic conditions such as atopic asthma
What leukocyte levels are elevated in a full blood count in the early stages of an infection?
metamyelocytes/band cells, neutrophils
What is the result of increased vascular permeability in acute inflammation?
Swelling/oedema
What is transudate?
Fluid that passes through membranes into the extracellular fluid, and contain little protein.
What is exudate?
Fluid that passes through membranes, such as out of blood vessels, and is high in protein.
What is the difference between transudate and exudate?
Transudate is low in protein, while exudate is high in protein?
What is the effect of increased vascular permeability on osmotic pressure?
Increased interstitial colloid osmotic pressure, and decreased intravascular colloid osmotic pressure, due to the increased permeability to proteins
During acute inflammation, what happens to the ratios of transudate and exudate?
Transudate is replaced by exudate at vascular permeability increases
What is vascular congestion?
The swelling of bodily tissues due to increased vascular blood flow.
During acute inflammation, what property of blood helps white blood cells to slow down, and therefore migrate?
Increased concentration of RBCs allows for increased blood viscosity, therefore slowing it down.
What are the 3 stages in which leukocytes leave the vasculature and enter the tissues?
margination & rolling, adhesion & transmigration, chemotaxis & activation
What is the process in which leukocytes travel to the site of injury once in an extravascular space?
chemotaxis
What is chemotaxis?
The following of a chemical gradient
What are the 3 possible outcomes of acute inflammation?
Abscess, persistent inflammation, healing
What are the 3 key causes of chronic inflammation?
prolonged toxin exposure, autoimmunity, persistent infections
