Lippincott chapter 3 - DONE Flashcards
Pathogenic microorganism def.
it is defined as one that is capable of causing disease
Virulence can be quantified by:
how many organisms are required to cause disease in 50% of those exposed to the pathogen or to kill 50% of test animals
The probability that an infectious disease occurs is influenced by:
both the number and virulence of the infecting organisms and the strength of the host immune response opposing infection
Virulence factors:
are those characteristics of bacterium that enhance its pathogenicity, that is, properties that enable microorganisms to establish itself and replicate on or within a specific host
Some of the most important steps in the infectious process are:
- entry into the host
- adherence to the host cells
- invasiveness
4 iron sequestering - virulence factors that inhibit phagocytosis
- bacterial toxins (exotoxins, and endotoxins)
Ways that an microorganism can enter the host:
- respiratory tract
- GI tracts
- urogenital tract
- through skin that has been cut, punctured, or burned
After the microorganism has entered the host, what is it that the pathogen has to overcome?
it has to overcome diverse host defenses before it can establish itself
Give examples of the things the pathogen must overcome before establishing itself in the host:
- phagocytosis
- acid environments of the stomach and urogenital tract
- hydrolytic and proteolytic enzymes found in saliva, stomach, and small intestine
What gives the bacteria a better chance in surviving the host defence mechanisms?
those who have an outer polysaccharide capsule have a better chance in surviving the hosts primary defenses
Give examples of bacteria that has an outer polysaccharide capsule:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningitidis
What does the bacteria use to adhere to its host?
- Some bacteria (e.g. Escherichia coli) use pili to adhere to the surface of host cells. Group A streptococci have similar structures (fimbrae)
- Other bacteria have cell surface adhesion molecules or particularly hydrophobic cell walls that allow them to adhere to the host cell membrane.
Why does the bacteria adhere to the host?
- to avoid being carried away by mucus or washed by organs with significant fluid flow
- to form a microcolony
What are invasive bacteria?
it is those taht can enter the host cell or penetrate mucosal surfaces, spreading from the initial site of infection
Invasins:
many bacterial pathogens express membrane proteins known as “invasins” that interact with host cell receptors, thereby eliciting signaling cascades that result in bacterial uptake by induced phagocytosis.
Inflammation:
invation is followed by inflammation
What types of inflammations do we have?
- pyogenic (involving pus formation)
- granulomatous (having nodular inflammatory lesions)
What decides the type of inflammation?
if the inflammation is pyogenic or granulomatous depends on the organism
What does the pus of pyogenic inflammations contain?
mostly neutrophils
What does the pus of granulomatous lesions contain?
- fibroblasts
- lymphocytes
- macrophages
What is an essential nutrient in most of the bacteria?
iron
What does the bacteria do to obtain the iron required for growth?
they produce iron-binding compound, called siderophores. These compounds capture iron from the host by chelation, and then ferrated siderophore binds to specific receptors on the bacterial surface.
Siderophores:
is an iron-binding compound that the bacteria produce to obtain the iron required for growth
What can iron be used to in the bacteria?
Iron is actively transported into the bacterium, where it is incorporated into essential compounds such as cytochromes
The pathogenic Neiserria species are exceptions in that they……….
do not produce siderophores but instead utilize host iron-binding proteins, such as transferrin and lactoferrin, as iron sources. They do so by expressing dedicated receptors that binds to these host proteins and remove the iron for internalization
The most important antiphagocytotic……
- structure is the capsule external to the cell wall
- factors are the cell wall proteins of gram-positive cocci, such as protein A for staphylococcus and M protein of group A streptococci
Bacterial toxins:
some bacteria cause disease by producing toxic substances
What are the two categories of substances produced by bacteria?
- exotoxins
- endotoxins
Exotoxins:
- are proteins
- are secreted by both gram- positive and gram-negative bacteria
Endotoxins:
- are synonymous with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), is not secreted by instead is an integral component of the cell walls of the gram-negative bacteria
How are the structures of exotoxins?
they have two polypeptide components. One is responsible for binding the protein to the host cell, and one is responsible for the toxic effect.
Diphtheria toxin (exotoxin):
an enzyme that blocks protein synthesis. It does so by attaching an adenosine diphosphate-ribosyl group to human protein elongation factor EF-2, thereby inactivating it.
Heat stable toxins (ST):
most exotoxins are rapidly inactivated my moderate heating (60 degree celsius), notable exceptions being staphylococcal enterotoxin and E. coli heat stable toxin