Pathobiology Flashcards
What is the definition of a Disease?
A disease is a state in which the health of the human organism is impaired
What is the definition of Homeostasis?
The biological process that maintains a physiological steady state of the internal environment, despite changes in the external environment
What is the definition of Pathogenesis?
The pathological mechanism which results in clinically evident disease
What is the definition of Aetiology?
The specific cause of a disease
What is the definition of a Predisposition to a disease?
A susceptibility to a disease which, given the right circumstances, will manifest as clinically evident disease
What is the definition of a Risk Factor for a disease?
A factor associated with an increased probability of developing a particular disease
What is the Genotype of an organism?
The inherited, genetic constitution of an organism
What is the Phenotype of an organism?
The physical and behavioural characteristics of an organism that are a result of the interaction between the Genotype and the Environment
What are the 2 factors that cause disease?
- Intrinsic factors
2. Extrinsic factors
Give 4 examples of intrinsic causes of disease.
Give an example of a disease for each type of cause.
- Genetic - sickle cell
- Cellular - Alzheimer’s
- Metabolic - Diabetes
- Structural - Spina Bifida
Give 4 examples of extrinsic causes of disease.
Give an example of a disease for each type of cause.
- Physical - Bone fracture
- Chemical - Asthma
- Biological - AIDS
- Nutritional - Malnutrition
What are the 4 steps in the course of a disease?
- Aetiologic agent
- Pathogenic mechanism
- Pathological process
- Overt disease
What is the definition of a Manifestation of a disease?
How are they detected?
- The functional consequences of the morphologic changes that occur in the disease process
- Clinical signs and symptoms
- May require tests such as blood tests and x-rays
Who is the founder of biochemical genetics?
Archibald Garrod
What disease did Archibald Garrod first discover was inherited a classic mendelian trait?
What are the symptoms of this disease?
What this disease dominant or recessive?
- Alkaptonuria
- Homogentisic acid accumulates in joints causing cartilage damage and back pain
- Also precipitates as kidney/prostate stones
- Autosomal recessive trait
What are the 4 patterns of inherited human diseases?
- Autosomal recessive - Alkaptonuria
- Autosomal dominant - Huntington’s disease
- Autosomal co-dominant - Sickle Cell Anaemia
- X-Linked - Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy
What is the molecular cause of sickle cell anaemia?
What does this result in?
- Single point mutation in the codon for amino acid 6 in the Beta-globin subunit of haemoglobin
- This changes the normal Glutamine to Valine, which results in the formation of large insoluble polymers which distort RBC shape
Why is the frequency of the Sickle Cell allele so high in sub-saharan countries?
Heterozygous carriers of the Sickle Cell allele have increased resistance to malaria
What is Karyotyping?
How can the banding pattern of chromosomes be used to identify human disease genes?
- Karyotyping is a technique used to map out and distinguish each chromosome
- Abnormalities in banding pattern can be identified and associated with specific diseases, therefore the genes which cause the disease must be located on that specific chromosome
Which protein did DNA sequencing show was mutated in Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy?
What does this protein do in the Wild type?
In which pattern is Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy inherited?
- Dystrophin
- Part of a bridging complex that connects muscle fibres to the ECM
- X-Linked inheritance pattern
What is the molecular cause of Huntingtons disease?
What does this result in?
What are the symptoms of Huntingtons disease?
- Expansion of a CAG repeat sequence in the Huntington gene increases the size of the Huntington protein
- This protein is now toxic to neurones and results in their death
- Dementia, lack of movement control and neuronal loss in basal ganglia
Are mutant alleles in oncogenes of viruses that cause cancer:
- Dominant or Recessive
- Gain of function or Loss of function
- Dominant
- Gain of function
What is a proto-oncogene?
How can chromosomal rearrangements affect them?
What can this cause?
- A normal gene that could become an oncogene (cancer) due to mutations
- Chromosomal rearrangements can disrupt, truncate or reassemble proto-onocogenes
- This can cause cancer
How can loss of function mutations cause cancer?
What is an example of a cancer that can develop from a loss of function mutation?
- They can inactivate tumour suppressor genes
- Retinoblastoma
Are unilateral retinoblastoma’s hereditary or non-hereditary?
They can be either hereditary or non-hereditary
Are bilateral retinoblastoma’s hereditary or non-hereditary?
They are always hereditary
What did Alfred Knudson hypothesise was the cause of retinoblastoma’s?
Mutations in tumour suppressing genes that normally prevent cells from becoming cancerous
What did Alfred Knudson hypothesise was the cause in non-hereditary retinoblastoma’s?
- Retinoblastoma requires inactivation of both alleles of a tumour suppressing gene
- First somatic retinoblastoma mutation occurs in retinal cell
- Second somatic retinoblastoma mutation occurs in retinal cell resulting in retinoblastoma
What did Alfred Knudson hypothesise was the cause in hereditary retinoblastoma’s?
- Retinoblastoma requires inactivation of both alleles of a tumour suppressing gene
- There is an inherited retinoblastoma mutation in all cells
- First somatic retinoblastoma mutation occurs in retinal cell resulting in retinoblastoma
In what genes do dominant, gain of function mutations cause cancer?
Proto-oncogenes
In what genes do recessive, loss of function mutations cause cancer?
Tumour supressor genes
What are some examples of diseases caused by multiple genes interacting with both each other and the environment?
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
What are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)?
How are they distributed throughout the genome?
What do they provide?
- A variation in the sequence of single nucleotides in DNA
- They are distributed randomly throughout the genome
- They provide a map of DNA sequence variation across the genome
How can single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) be used to identify DNA sequences associated with common diseases?
Genome Wide Association Studies
- Genomes are analysed to catalogue all of the SNPs present in each individual
- Can then compare the SNPs present in affected individuals with the SNPs present in healthy individuals
- SNPs that are more common in affected individuals may be associated with the disease and may be the cause
What are Genomic Imprints?
Structural modifications to specific regions of particular chromosomes that prevent the transcription of genes within such regions
What is an example of a genomic modification for imprinting?
Methylation of DNA sequences
How can genomic imprints in germ cells of parents affect somatic cells in offspring?
- Patterns of DNA methylation in chromosomes of sperm/egg are conserved in the somatic cells of offspring
- If there are defects in the imprinted genomic regions then this can result in disease in the offspring
What happens to patterns of DNA methylation in germ line development of an embryo?
- They are removed and then reapplied in a pattern dependent on the sex of the embryo
Give 2 examples of parent-of-origin specific diseases.
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
2. Angelman Syndrome
How does maternal/paternal imprints cause Prader-Willi Syndrome?
- The gene involved is called SNORD116 et al
- This gene carries a maternal imprint so only the paternal copy of the gene is expressed
- If the paternal allele is mutated then there will be no functional gene product from SNORD116 et al resulting in Prader-Willi syndrome
How does maternal/paternal imprints cause Angelman Syndrome?
- The gene involved is called UBE3A
- This gene carries a paternal imprint so only the maternal copy of the gene is expressed
- If the maternal allele is mutated then there will be no function gene product from UBE3A resulting in Angelman syndrome
Are maternal/paternal imprints permanent epigenetic changes?
No they are stable but not permanent epigenetic changes
How are parent-of-origin specific diseases caused in heterozygous offsprings?
When a loss of function mutation in a non-imprinted allele is combined with a wild type imprinted allele, then neither allele produces the wild type gene product and the clinical phenotype results
What is epidemiology?
What are the 2 assumptions that epidemiology is based upon?
- The patterns of disease frequency in human population
1. Disease does not occur randomly
2. Disease has identifiable causes
What 3 things make up the epidemiological triangle?
- Host (intrinsic factors)
- Environment (extrinsic factors)
- Agent (disease cause)
What are some examples of environmental (extrinsic) factors that can cause disease?
- Physical
- Socioeconomic
- Nutrition
- Pollution of atmosphere
How did John Snow’s epidemiological study identify the cause of cholera in London?
- He looked at the similarities between those getting infected by cholera
- Found that they all used the same water pump, which was contaminated with sewage
- Identified this was the cause of cholera
What is pulmonary emphysema?
How does smoking increase the likelihood of developing it (macrophages)?
- Pulmonary emphysema is enlargement of the alveolar airspaces with destruction of elastin in walls
- Compounds in smoke irritates alveolar macrophages which then recruit neutrophils and releases chemotactic factors
- This activates proteases which breakdown the elastic tissue of the alveolar walls and replaces it with scar tissue
How does smoking affects levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin and how can this increase likelihood of developing emphysema?
- Oxidants in smoke reduces the levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin
- This decreases the protection for alveolar walls from proteases
- Proteases breakdown the elastic tissue of the alveolar walls and replaces it with scar tissue
How does smoking affect the action of cilia in the respiratory system andhow can this increase likelihood of developing emphysema?
- Smoking decreases the action of cilia in the respiratory system
- This means that bacteria-rich mucus cannot be moved and the risk of infection is increased
- This results in tissue damage of the alveolar walls
What are the 2 broad responses to occupational toxic agents?
- Allergic
2. Pneumoconiosis
How do occupational toxic hazards result in an allergic response?
- Allergen is inhaled
- It then interacts with mast cells via immunoglobulins
- This causes mast cells to degranulate and secrete histamines
- Histamines cause bronchoconstriction and excessive mucus secretion
What is Pneumoconiosis?
What are some examples of its causes?
- Lung disease caused by the inhalation of dusts
- Coal-miners
- Asbestos
- Extrinsic allergic aleveolitis
- Lung carcinomas
How is asbestosis caused?
- Asbestos fibres become coated in Iron and Calcium to form a ferruginous body
- These are ingested by macrophages and causes them to release growth factors
- This stimulates fibroblasts to secrete collagen which decreases the elasticity of lungs
What are the 4 types of infectious pathogens?
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Protozoans
- Fungi
What are obligate pathogens?
Pathogens that can only survive in host - usually very specific to host species
What are facultative pathogens?
Pathogens present in the environment waiting for host
What are opportunistic pathogens?
Pathogens that are normally benign but cause disease in compromised host
What type of genes cause 2 closely related species to be pathogenic or harmless?
Virulence genes
What is an example of a species that is harmless but can be morphed into a pathogen?
- Cholera bacteria must be infected by a bacteriophage to become virulent
- The bacteriophage transfers genes that encode the cholera toxin to the bacteria
- This toxin causes diarrhoea by dehydrating the cells of the intestines
Give an example of a fungal life cycle that shows dimorphism.
How can this cause disease in humans?
- In soil, fungi grows as a mould
- In warm body, it switches two the yeast morphology
- The yeast are then consumed by macrophages where they grow a germ tube
- This pierces the macrophage from the inside, and results in death of the macrophage
Give an example of a life cycle of a protozoa (malaria).
- Protozoa often have more than one host e.g. mosquito and humans in malaria
- Protozoa are transferred to humans from salivary glads of mosquito when its sucks blood
- Protozoa then replicate in the liver and infect red blood cells
- They produce gametes which are picked up by mosquitos when they suck blood
- The gametes are fertilised in the gut of mosquitos and the cycle continues
What are 3 ways that epithelia are specialised to form a barrier for protection against pathogens?
- Epithelia are densely populated with bacterial and fungal flora to form a barrier to infection
- Epithelial cells are linked by tight junctions to prevent pathogens squeezing through spaces between cells
- Epithelia secrete mucus that traps pathogens and this is then cleared and destroyed
How do some bacteria use adhesins to overcome epithelial barriers?
Some bacteria use adhesin proteins to bind to receptors on epithelial cells to anchor themselves so they aren’t flushed away
What 2 reasons do pathogens need to breach the cell membrane?
- To replicate inside cells
2. To inject toxins into the cell
What 2 reasons do pathogens use toxins to kill host cells?
- Killing host cells provides nutrients for pathogen
2. Killing white blood cells help pathogens evade the immune system
What do E.coli cells do to host cells to hold them in place?
They make the host cell form an actin pedestal that holds them in place so they cannot be flushed away
How can do many bacteria pass toxins into host cells?
They have type III secretion systems that act like syringes that pierce the cell membrane of the host cell
Why do some pathogens hide in host cells?
To evade the immune system of the host
In what 3 ways can bacteria invade cells to evade the hosts immune system?
- They can be phagocytosed by macrophages
- Zipper mechanism - bacteria use adhesin proteins to bind to receptors on host cell surface
- Trigger mechanism - bacteria use secretion systems to actively rearrange the cell membrane of host cells
How do Listeria bacteria enter and replicate within a cell?
How do they then enter other cells?
- Listeria bacteria attach and enter cell by Zipper mechanism within a phagosome
- Listeria then secrete hemolysin, which causes the membrane of the phagosome to breakdown
- Listeria then replicate within the cell cytoplasm
- Listeria assemble actin tails to push them into neighbouring cells
How do antibiotics stop bacterial growth?
They disrupt bacterial cellular processes
What are some examples of cellular process that antibiotics stop in bacteria?
- Cell wall synthesis
- Folic acid biosynthesis
- DNA replication
- DNA transcription
- Protein synthesis
What is the structure of a virus?
A simple genome encapsulated in a coat protein called a capsid
What are lytic and lysogenic viruses?
- Lytic viruses replicate and transcribe DNA to form proteins to make new viruses (shut down cellular processes not related to their replication)
- Lysogenic viruses integrate into the host cell DNA where they can lay dormant for many months/years
What are the 4 entry strategies for viruses?
Give an example of a virus that uses each strategy.
- Fusion with plasma membrane - HIV
- Fusion with membrane after endocytosis - Influenza
- Pore formation - Poliovirus
- Endosomal membrane disruption - Adenovirus
How do viruses bind to host cells in order to enter?
Viruses have viral surface proteins that bind to virus receptors on the surface of host cells
How can the papillomoavirus cause cancer in humans?
- Virus can infect epithelial cells and cause benign genital warts
- Proteins produced by the viral genome up regulate DNA replication and proliferation by the host cell to allow more production of viral genome
- Viral genome contains oncogenes with gene products that promote uncontrolled proliferation
- Accidental integration of virus into host chromosome can result in too much proliferation and can give rise to malignant tumours
How can retroviruses cause cancer?
- Retroviruses cause cancer by incorporating human proto-onocogenes into their own genome
- This is occurs when there are mistake integrating the viral genome into the human genome
- Proto-oncogenes encode proteins involved with cell proliferation and these are normally down-regulated in humans
- The proto-oncogenes products are less controlled in viral genome and this results in uncontrolled proliferation and tumour formation
What is the function of the innate immune system?
Non-specific defence against infection during first hours/days of exposure to a new pathogen
In what 2 ways do epithelial surfaces form physical barriers to pathogens?
- Tight junctions between epithelial cells prevents passage of pathogens between cells
- Keratinized epithelia forms thick barrier
In what 2 ways do epithelial surfaces form chemical barriers to pathogens?
- Sweat discourages attachment and entry of pathogen
2. Sebaceous glands in skin secrete fatty acids and lactic acids which inhibit bacterial growth
What are defensins?
what is their function?
- Antimicrobial molecules secreted by epithelia
- They are positively charged peptides that bind to and disrupt membranes of many pathogens
What 2 ways can the epithelia of internal tissues/organs form a barrier to pathogens?
- Mucus secretions in respiratory and GI tract prevent adhesion of pathogens to epithelia
- Cilia action and peristaltic movements moves mucus along tract to be destroyed/excreted
What 2 ways do the harmless bacteria in the body form a barrier to pathogens?
- They compete with pathogens for nutrients
2. They secrete antimicrobial peptides that inhibit pathogen proliferation
If a pathogen breaks the epithelial barrier, how do cells underneath recognise the pathogen as foreign?
They have receptors that bind to microbe associated molecules that are not normally present in the host
What is the name given to microbe associated molecules that are detected by cell-surface receptors?
Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs)
What is the name of receptors that bind to Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs)?
Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs)
What 3 ways can Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) be located?
What is there function in each location?
- On the cell surface of Macrophages and Neutrophils
- Mediate uptake of pathogen by phagocytosis - Intracellularly
- To detect pathogens such as viruses - Secreted to bind to surface of pathogens
- Marks them for destruction by phagocytes
What are 3 examples of Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs)?
- F-met - involved in protein synthesis of prokaryotes
- Lipopolysaccharide - found on surface of gram -ve prokaryotes
- Foreign nucleic acids
What are the 2 major phagocytic cells in the innate immune system?
- Macrophages - resident phagocytes that reside in tissues permanently
- Neutrophils - recruited to areas of infection by chemokine secreted by macrophages
How is phagocytosis of a pathogen carried out?
- Phagocytes have cell surface receptors that recognise and bind to complement proteins or antibodies bound to pathogen
- Binding of pathogen to phagocyte initiates phagocytosis
- Once inside the pathogen is attacked in the phagolysosome
What is the respiratory burst?
A rapid rise in O2 consumption by phagocytes to produce toxic chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide