Microbiology TB lecture Flashcards
In microbiology what does the term facultative mean?
The ability of an organism to adapt to different environmental conditions. Often use host resources to their advantages but also able to live independently.
For example faculative anerobe - can produce ATP with and without the presence of oxygen.
What in mircobiology is meant by non-motile?
Organisms of cells that are not capable of movement on their own.
Do not possess the means to move through their environment independently aka lack flagella
What in microbiology is meant by a obligate aerobe?
Organisms that require oxygen to survive and grow.
What is a ghon focus in microbiology?
1-2cm
Cheese looking with pulmonary parenchymal nodule with a necrotic centre usually close to the pleura
What is a ghon complex in microbiology?
Ghon focus associated with enlarged hilar lymph nodal involvement
What is a ranke complex in TB microbiology?
A ghon complex undergoes progressive fibrosis and calcification
What is meant by host tropism in microbiology?
Specificity of a pathogen for infecting particular hosts or tissues within those hosts/
What is meant by an acid fast bacillus in microbiology?
Bacterium that has a unique, waxy lipid layer in its cell wall made predominantly of mycolic acid.
This characteristic makes resistant to decolorisation during staining procedures hence the name acid-fast.
What are the characteristics of a mycobacterium tuberculosis?
Non motile
Non -sporing
Obligate aerobe
Facultative intracellular organism (can live inside or outside host cells including macrophages)
Can remain dormant for decades (latent TB infection)
What are the staining and identification characteristics of myobacterium tuberculosis?
Slightly curved baciluus shape
Gram stain poorly
Stains fluorescence yellow on auramine
Or pink on Ziehl-Neelson.
What is a mycobacterium tuberculosis complex?
Genetically related groups of mycobacterium species that can cause tuberculosis in humans or animals.
99.5% similar but differ widely in host tropism, phenotype and pathogenicity.
What is the growth rate of myobacterium tuberculosis?
What is this relevant?
tD 18-24 hrs under ideal conditions
This is very slow compared to other microbes such as E.coli and S,aureus. Means a patient can be infected for a long time before symptoms start to show as need time to replicate and increase in number to cause sufficient damage.
What are the main types of mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that can cause TB in humans?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (cause 85%)
Mycobacterium africanum
Mycobacterium canettii
Mycobacterium bovis
Mycobacterium orygis.
What are the different geographic distributions or myobacterium causes of TB in humans?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - worldwide
M. Afrincanum - W and central Africa
M. canettii - horn of Africa
M. bovis - associated with areas of unpastuerised milk usage or from cattle such as bison, elk consumption.
M. orygis - from deer, diary cattle, humans
What mycobacterium species tends to be used in vaccination?
Attenuated strain of M.bovis is used in human vaccinations
Shares significant genetic and antigenic similarities to Mtb.
What are the features of the mycobacterium cell wall? (broad ideas)
Contains an inner membrane
Has a peptoglycan middle layer - thicker than gram neg but thinner than gram positive
Does not have an outer membrane
Has a unique outer cell wall which is rich in mycolic acids responsible for most of virulence.
Hence has features of gram negative and positive so does not gram stain well.
What are some specific molecules found within the mycoplasma cell wall?
Cell membrane made from phospholipids
Periplasmic space - contains high lipid content including lipomannan and liporabinomannan
Then peptoglycan layer
Followed by arabinogalactan
Then mycolic acid
Then free acids and glycoproteins including trehalose dimycolate before the capsule layer.
What is the distinguishing fetaure of the periplasmic space/cell wall of myobacteria?
Has a high lipid content around 60% including lipomannan and lipoarabinomannan
Has features of both gram +ve and -ve walls.
What is the role of mycolic acid in the mycoplasma cell wall?
Mycolic acid are long chain fatty acids in bacterial cell wall.
Creater a waxy coat below capsule
Makes cell less permeable and highly resistant to antibiotics.
What is the role of peptoglycan in mycoplasma cell wall?
Made from alternating NAG and NAM
Confers rigidity and maintains shape.
What is the role of arabinogalactan in the mycoplasma cell wall?
Helps the bacteria to survive inside macrophages.
Amy interfere with host immune function, recognition process and phagosome maturation.
What is the role fo TDM Trehalose dimycolate (cord factor) in the mycoplasma cell wall?
Is an outer layer just deep to the capsule
Helps evade immune response
Triggers cytokine release
Causes chronic granulomas. (prevents phagosomal vesicle fusion)
Causes Mycobacteria to arrange together in slim cord like fashion.
What does mycoplasm look like under the microscope?
Cord factor helps clump together, give a string or thread-like appearance as robs clump together.
What is the global impact of TB?
10.6 million infected with TB worldwide
8.4% of those live with HIC
13th leading cause of death worldwide
2nd leading infectious killer after COVID-19
1.1 million deaths
1/3 of the worlds population are infected with TB and at risk of developing active TB.
What is the key public health element related to TB infections?
All mycobacterium tuberculosis complexes organisms are notifiable to Public Health England under the 2010 Health Protection Regulations.
Must be notified due to highly infectious and risk of drug resistance means contact tracing should occur.
How has the incidence of TB changed over time?
Suggest some reasons why?
Overall TB incidence has decreased dramatically over the last 100 years.
Mainly due to development of antibiotics, public health campaigns and improvements in housing and sanitation.
However some spikes in 1980s due to HIV epidemic, MDR inc and inc international travel
Another spike in 2011, followed by a decline caused by increased screening in high incidence countries.
What is TB sanitorium?
What is the history behind them?
Historical concept: A hospital typically in the countryside where people can go to rest and recover after a particularly long illness.
Encouraged fresh air exposure.
Need created by 1840s and 1850s epidemic
First purpose built sanitorium was Brompton Hospital in 1854
First antibiotic streptomycin was discovered in 1943. (aminoglycoside)
What is the historical use of x-ray and plombage in TB diagnosis and treatment?
Historical treatment used prior to discovery of antibiotics for TB in 1943.
Cavity created in upper zone of chest cavity under ribs, filled with material such as lucite balls, ping pong balls etc - aim was to make the elung collapse - theory was that a collapsed lung would heal quicker.
What is the liklihood of developing active TB from a TB infection?
ONly 5-10% of infected develop active disease. These tend to have a weak immune system, HIV, malnutrition or be pregnant.
Majority never have any clinical symptoms
What are the outcomes after exposure to TB?
10-30% are infected
Of these 10% develop active TB, remaining 90% develop latent TB
Latent TB has a 5-10% lifetime risk of reactivation