Path & host Flashcards
1
Q
Pathogenicity factors
A
How likely is an organism to cause an illness?
- Infectivity, ability to become established on or within host
- Virulence, ability to cause harmful effects once established
2
Q
Infectivity factors
A
- Attachment e.g. E.coli have P-fimbriae
- Acid resistance e.g. H.pylori, has urease which makes ammonia from urea
3
Q
Virulence factors
A
- Invasiveness, reproduces rapidly
- Toxin production, infects immune system
- Exotoxins released extracellularly by the microorganism
- Enterotoxins are exotoxins which act on the GI tract
- Endotoxin is structurally part of the Gram negative cell wall, Lipid A is the nasty bit
- Evasion of immune system
- These are specific to strains, not species
4
Q
Streptococcus pyogenes
A
- Highly invasive
- Enterotoxin, superantigen
- Necrotising fasciitis
- Cellulitis
- Connective tissue breakdown by enzymes
- Fibrinolysis - enzymatic breakdown of fibrin in blood clots
- Stimulate division of T cells in the absence of specific antigen
- Overwhelming cytokine production - toxic shock
5
Q
Tetanus
A
- Clostridium tetani
- High virulence
- Infects dirty wounds
- Toxin production, binds to nerve synapses, inhibits release of inhibitory NTs
- Death by respiratory paralysis
- Rx by debridement and abx and antitoxin
6
Q
Cholera
A
- Vibrio cholera
- High virulence
- Enterotoxins
- Colonises small intestine
- Toxin production, increases cAMP levels, inhibits uptake of Na+ and Cl- ions. Stimulates secretion of Cl- and HCO3- ions.
- Passive, massive outflow of H2O
- Death by dehydration
- Rx - rehydration
7
Q
Staph aureus
A
- Highly virulent
- Enterotoxin
- Stimulate division of T cells in the absence of specific antigen
- Overwhelming cytokine production - toxic shock
8
Q
E.coli
A
- O157 is the nasty one
- Induces severe uncontrolled host repose
- Cytokine production
- Fever, rigors, hypotension, tachycardia, collapse
9
Q
Mechanisms of viral pathogenesis
A
- Cell destruction following virus infection, death of T4 cells by HIV
- Virus-induced changes to cellular gene expression, cellular transformation by tumour viruses
- Immunopathogenic disease, Influenza A, induced myocarditis
10
Q
Sites of viral entry
A
- Conjunctiva
- Arthropod, insect bite
- Capillary
- Respiratory tract
- Alimentary tract
- Skin
- Urinogenital tract
11
Q
Types of viral infection
A
- Acute
- Latent
- Chronic
- Tumour virus infection
NB: symptoms arise at peak of virus in body
12
Q
Acute viral infection
A
- Localised, specific to site
- Development of viraemia can go to other tissues
13
Q
Examples of acute viral infections
A
- Influenza A, resp. infection. Virus infects cells of respiratory tract, destruction of respiratory epithelium, altered cytokine expression leading to fever
- Enterovirus. Virus is normally excreted in faeces but if viraemia occurs then it can get into non-neuronal tissues and neuronal tissues.
14
Q
Enterovirus examples
A
Poliomyelitis, aseptic meningitis, myocarditis, pancreatitis, respiratory infections
15
Q
Latent viral infections example and life cycle
A
- Herpes simplex virus: primary infection in epithelium
- Virus migrates to ganglia and stays latent in nucleus, no virus replication
- Stimulus occurs e.g. stress, life events, immunosuppressants, sunlight
- Virus migrates back to epithelium and it is released, results in replication