Microbiology 15: Antiviral Therapy Flashcards
What disease does EBV cause ?
Infective mononucleosis
Where does Varicella Zoster Virus lay dormant in the body?
Dorsal root ganglia
What is a complication of Chickenpox in adults?
Varicella pneumonitis
What is a complication of shingles in adults ?
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Which medication is 1st line for treatment of HSV and VZV ?
Aciclovir
What type of anti viral is acyclovir ?
Nucleoside analogue
They get incorporated into growing chain of DNA causing it to terminate
Give 2 reasons why aciclovir has reduced toxicity to normal cells compared to cells infected with a virus?
Aciclovir requires activation by viral thymidine kinase (found in cells infected by viruses)
Aciclovir has a higher affinity for Herpes virus DNA polymerase compared to human DNA polymerase
Which medical emergency is caused by HSV ?
HSV encephalitis
What is the characteristic histological appearance of CMV infection ?
Owl’s eye inclusions
Which virus are immunocompromised patients particularly at risk of compared to immunocompetent people ?
CMV
In which cells does CMV tend to lie dormant ?
Monocytes
Dendritic cells
What anti viral treatments are used to treat CMV infection ?
Ganciclovir
Foscarnet
Cidofovir
Which disease can EBV cause in immunocompromised patients ?
PTLD - post transplant lymphoproliferative disease
The EBV keeps dividing unless kept in check by the immune system
This causes polyclonal activation of B cells
What does PTLD predispose to ?
B cell lymphoma
What is the treatment for PTLD ?
Rituximab - monoclonal antibody against CD20 B cell surface marker