Micro Lectures Flashcards
What is an acute lytic viral infection?
Real world definition = viral infection that results in the production of progeny virus and lysis of the infected cell
Acute clinical symptoms are the result of:
Either tissue destriction due to virus replication, or side effects of the host immune system (e.g. inflammation, tissue damage)
Examples of disease from acute lytic viral infections:
Time course: 3-14 days
Symptoms can include: fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhage etc.
Successful immune response clears infection
e.g. flu, norovirus, ebola
What is a chronic lytic viral infection?
Productive viral infection in a subset of cells
Continual infection/ re-infection cycle
Ongoing shedding of virus from infected cells that does not immediately result in cell lysis
Chronic Focal Infection:
◦A subset of “carrier cells” produces virus
◦Infects neighboring cells
◦Initial cells replaced by new cells
◦Newly infected cells reinitiate the process
Chronic Diffuse Infection:
◦Both infected cells and virus continue to replicate
◦Cells are not lysed by virus
◦Cells continue to shed virus for their life span
Hepatitis C Virus causes a ____ infection. Elaborate.
Chronic Lytic Infection
◦Chronically infects hepatocytes in 80% of patients
◦Persistent lytic replication result in progressive liver disease
◦Culminates in cirrhosis &/or hepatocellular carcinoma (approx. 30 years)
The main difference between acute lytic and chronic infections is the ______
time to clear the virus
◦Acute infection <2 weeks
◦Chronic infection persist for weeks/months/years
What is latency?
Presence of viral nucleic acid in the absence of pre-formed infectious virus that has the ability to re-initiate lytic replication
Chronic vs. latent infection:
Both involve persistence of viral nucleic acid
Both may involve a period of clinical latency (infection in the absence of disease)
Difference is in the molecular state of the virus:
- Latent infections do not produce infectious virus
- Chronic infections involve continual production of new viral particles
For latent viruses, the viral genome is maintained as ____ in DNA viruses and ___ in RNA viruses
Maintained as DNA in both cases!
Both RNA and DNA viruses can establish latency.
Viral genomes can be integrated into host genome (provirus) or
Viral genomes can be maintained as extra-chromosomal DNA (episome)
Provirus:
Viral genomes are integrated into host genome
Episome:
Viral genomes maintained as extra-chromosomal DNA
Rhinovirus (cause of common cold) infection is best described as:
A. Acute lytic
B. Chronic lytic
C. Latent
Acute lytic
Untreated HIV infection is best described as:
A. Acute lytic
B. Chronic lytic
C. Latent
Chronic Lytic
Characteristics of herpesviruses:
Herpesvirus genomes are linear ds DNA
Viral DNA is in an icosahedral core
Virus particle is enveloped in a lipid membrane
EBV is latent in ____ cells. CMV is latent in ____ cells.
EBV is latent in lymphoid (esp. B) cells. CMV is latent in various cells.
How is EBV transmitted?
Exchange of saliva
Describe the infection process of EBV:
Transmitted via exchange of saliva
Initially infects epithelial cells in the oropharynx
Spreads to the blood; infects B-cells via CD21 complement receptor
Early 1° infection usually asymptomatic
Clinically apparent as infectious mononucleosis when 1° infection occurs later (among adolescents & young adults)
Clinical signs and symptoms of infectious mono:
Clinical signs & symptoms include fatigue, fever, sore throat, lymphadenopathy
Define mononucleosis:
Mononucleosis = proliferation of ‘mononuclear’ cells (lymphocytes, not monocytes)
In EBV infection, infected B cells are recognized by _____
cytotoxic T-cells
What is indicated by this blood smear?
Cells on the left are atypical lymphocytes characteristic of EBV infection.
Lymphocyte on the right is normal.
Hemoatologic characteristics of EBV:
◦Lymphocytosis during primary infection
◦High % of atypical lymphocytes
Immunologic diagnosis of EBV:
◦Heterophile antibodies (literally against an antigen from another species) = used to define antibodies against poorly-defined or cross-reacting antigens
- detected with monospot test, positive within 2 weeks of illness
- non-specific, false positives and false negatives possible
- does not confirm EBV infection
◦EBV-specific antibodies (IgM early, IgG later)
- VCA = viral capsid antigens
How is EBV treated?
Acyclovir is generally not effective against EBV
There is no vaccine against EBV
No kissing?
Basically don’t treat it.
X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome:
Children with this disease are susceptible to severe, life-threatening mono (>70% mortality rate by age 10)
Hairy leukoplakia:
EBV associated disease
Whitish, nonmalignant lesions on the tongue
Immunocompromised pts, especially AIDS
Burkitt’s Lymphoma:
EBV-associated disease
Endemic in Africa and New Guinea
Sporadic in US and Western Europe
HIV-associated
EBV establishes latency as ____ in the ____ of infected B cells.
EBV establishes latency as episomal DNA in the nucleus of infected B cells.