Lippincott chapter 8 DONE BUT WITHOUT THE FIGURES AND TABLES Flashcards
What consitute the main groups of medically important gram-positive cocci?
staphylococci and streptococci
Staphylococcus areus
- one of the most common causes of bacterial infection
- important cause of food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome
Staphylococcus epidermidis
- less virulent staphylococal species
- important cause of prosthetic implant infections
Staphylococcus saprophyticus
- causes urinary tract infections, especially in women
Staphylococci is a part of the human…..
flora
Staphylococci:
- stain darkly gram positive
- round rather than oval
- occur in bunches like grapes
- cultured on broth and/ or blood
- anaerobic
What does the staphylococci produce?
catalase, which is one feature that distinguish them from catalase-negative streptococci
What is the most virulent species of staphylococcus?
staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus
almost all isolates of which secretes coagulase, an enzyme that causes citrated plasma to clot
Coagulase-negative staphylococci:
referred to species that occationally cause disease and lack coagulase
Folliculitis:
obstructed hair follicle
Staphylococcus aureus may be:
- largely or wholly the result of an actual invasive infection, overcomming host defense mechanisms, and the production of extracellular substances which facilitate invasion
- a result of toxins in the absence of invasive infection (“pure” toxinoses)
- a combination of invasive infection an intoxication
Virulence factors are……..
the genetic, biochemical, or structural features that enable an organism to produce disease
What does the clinical outcome of an infection depend on?
the virulence of the pathogen and the opposing effectiveness of the host defense mechanisms
Does staphylococcus aureus express many or few potential virulence factors?
many
PMNs =
polymorphonuclear neutrophils
What does coagulase activity result in?
coagulase activity results in localized clotting, which restricts access by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and other immune defenses. This would make coagulase a virulent factor, even tho mutants lacking the ability to make this factor remain virulent in animal models
What are the cell wall virluence factors?
- Capsule
- Protein A
- Fibronectin-binding protein
- Clumping factor
What does the capsule do?
it give an increased resistance to phagocytosis
Protein A:
- major component of staphylococcus aureus cell wall
- binds to the Fc region of IgG, exerting an anti-opsonin (and therefore strongly antiphagocytic) effect
Fibronectin-binding protein (FnBP):
- FnBP and other staphylococcal surface proteins promote binding to mucosal cells and tissue matrices
FnBP =
Fibronectin-binding protein
Clumping factor:
- FnBP enhances clumping of the organisms in the presence of plasma
Cytolytic exotoxins:
α, β, γ, and δ toxins attack mammalian cell membranes, and are often referred to as hemolysins
α toxins:
- chromosomally encoded
- it polymerizes into tubes that pierce membranes, resulting in the loss of important molecules and, eventually, in osmotic lysis.
Panton-Valentine leukocidin:
- this pore-forming toxin lysis PMNs
- production of this toxin makes strains more virulent
- is produced predominantly by community-aquired methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) strains
What does the superantigen exotoxins have affinity for?
they have affinity for the T-cell receptor-major histocompatibility complex Class II antigen complex.
What does the superantigen exotoxins stimulate?
they stimulate enhanced T-lymphocyte response (as many as 20% of T cell respond, compared with 0,01% responding to the usual processed antigens). see more page 71
What six major antigen types do we have? Where are they produced?
Enterotoxins (six major antigen types: A, B, C, D, E, and G) are produced by approximately half of all S
What can cause food poisoning?
enterotoxin in food. Toxin stimulates the vomiting center in the brain by binding to neural receptors in the upper IG tract
What are enterotoxins?
- superantigen
- more heat-stable than S. aureus
Toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1):
- classic cause of toxic shock syndrome
- also referred to as staphylococcal enterotoxin F, although it does not cause food poisoning when ingested
TSST-1 =
Toxic shock syndrome
Exfoliatin (exfoliative toxin, ET)
- superantigen
- causes scalded skin syndrome in children
- cleaves desmoglein 1. cleavage results in loss of the superficial skin layer
ET =
Exfoliatin, exfoliative toxin
What causes scalded skin syndrome in children?
exfoliatin (exfoliative toxin, ET)
Give examples of antigens:
- enterotoxins
- exfoliatin (exfoliative toxin, ET)
Desmoglein 1:
a component of desmosomes (cell structures specialized in cell-to-cell adhesion)
What does the cleavage of desmoglein 1 result in?
cleavage results in loss of the superficial skin layer