Pathologic Consequences of Infection Flashcards
How does pathology results directly from a microbe?
Pathogens that multiply in the cell can directly cause cell damage by rupturing the cell.
Not all organisms do this; some viruses bud out of the cell without killing it
What are exotoxins?
They are secreted proteins from parasites that can cause serious tissue damage. They can be used as a strategy for entry, spread or defence.
They are often encoded by plasmids or phages
How can exotoxins be used to the advantage of humans?
By inactivating toxins (toxids), we can use them as powerful vaccines. Diphtheria toxin can be chemically inactivated to make a vaccine. Toxins are typically highly conserved, which is why we don’t get scarlet fever (Streptococcal erythrotoxin)
What are the five general modes of action of exotoxins?
Enzymatic lysis Pore formation Inhibition of protein synthesis Hyperactivation Effects on nerve-muscle transmission
What are hemolysins?
They are enzymes such as lecithinases, phospholipases, pore-forming molecules that destroy the integrity of the cell.
They affect many cells (not just red blood cells)
Clostridium perfringenes, which causes gangrene, secretes phospholipase C
Staphylococcus aureus secretes alpha-toxin
How do toxins typically alter the metabolic machinery?
They typically two subunits: an A subunit and a B subunit
The A subunit is the active component
The B subunit is the binding component that interacts with the receptors on the cell membranes
The B subunit binds to the cell membrane, then A subunit (or the entire toxin) enters the cell via endocytosis and becomes activated
How does the diphtheria toxin alter metabolic machinery?
The B subunit binds to the cell
The toxin-receptor complex is internalized
The A subunit passes into the cytosol
The A subunit inactivates the transfer of amino acids from tRNA to the polypeptide chain during translation of mRNA
This causes the death of mass cells, and the host is unable to breath
How does the cholera toxin alter metabolic machinery?
The toxins has 5 B subunits surrounding one A subunit
The B subunits bind to intestinal epithelial cells
The A subunit is internalized
The A subunit is cleaved into A1 and A2
A1 inhibits the inhibition of cAMP production
The sodium/chloride flux is changed, resulting in large outflow of water and electrolytes form the epithelial cells causing profuse diarrhea
How does tetanus interfere with nerve-muscle transmission?
The B subunit binds to ganglioside receptors on nerve cells
The A subunit is internalized and travels to the CNS
The A subunit interferes with synaptic transmission of inhibitory neurons by inhibiting neurotransmitter release
This causes the excitatory transmitters to continuously fire, causing spastic paralysis
How does botulinum interfere with nerve-muscle transmission?
The botulinum toxin enters via the intestine
The toxin blocks the release of acetylcholine release from the presynaptic neuron at neuromuscular junctions of the peripheral nerve endings
This causes flaccid paralysis
What is diarrhea?
It is an invariable result of intestinal infections
It can be considered as a way for the host to quickly get rid of infecting organisms
It can be considered as a way for a parasite to quickly spread to fresh hosts
What causes diarrhea?
Often the result of a toxin
Microbial invasion and damage to epithelial cells can cause diarrhea
Describe how well the immune response is controlled
The immune response is very well controlled with regards to distinguishing between self and foreign agents
It is not very well controlled with regards to the degree of immune response and over-activation. Overactivation of the immune response can lead to damage to the host tissues`
Endotoxins often utilize this inability of the immune system to control its degree of response
What are endotoxins?
They are lipopolysaccharides (made up of lipid A, a core oligosaccharide, and O-polysaccharide, which is variable)
Integral parts of the microbial cell walls (characteristic of Gram-negative bacteria
What are the most important effects of endotoxins?
Fever and vascular collapse (shock)
Fever is due to the release of cytokines IL-1 and TNF by macrophages, which affect the hypothalamus
What is an example of another microbial molecule that can overstimulate the immune system?
Toxic shock syndrome, caused by Staphylococcus, toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST1) activate a large portion of T cells, which produces enough cytokines to produce a toxic effect
How can the complement system damage the tissue of the host?
The complement system plays an important role in the acute inflammatory response by producing the chemotactic factors C3a and C5a
LPS can activate both he classical (via lipid A) and alternative (via polysaccharide) C pathways and this could lead to shock induced by the toxic amounts of endotoxin
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes aggregate, adhere to vessel walls and release toxic molecules that damage the host
What are the two types of allergic responses?
Antibody mediated (type I, II and III) Cell mediated (type IV)
What is type I hypersensitivity?
It is the most common
They are the result of a reaction to an allergen (antigen in the environment)
The symptoms occur at the location of the effector cells (which may be unrelated to the actual point of entry of the allergen e.g., hives from strawberries
Individuals with multiple allergies or severe allergies (could be due to genetic disorders) tend to have an overproduction of IL-4, which selects for IgE production of IgG, increased IL-4 receptors on B cells or even certain types of MHC-II
Describe the type I allergic responses
Initial exposure to the allergen
IgE formation following the primary antibody-mediated immune response
IgE binds via the Fc portion to specific receptors of basophils (in blood) and mast cells (in tissues), both cell types contain histamine granules
Second and subsequent exposure to the same allergen causes the allergen to bind to the V region o the Fab and crosslink two adjacent IgEs on mast cell/basophil surface
Crosslinking triggers degranulation and release of histamine and other mediators
Immediate response (minutes after exposure)
What are the symptoms of type I hypersensitivity?
Hay fever (watery eyes, runny nose from vascular permeability and oedema) Swelling and itching (nasal congestion, hives, oedema) Anaphylaxis (bronchoconstriction, shock, oedema) Asthma (smooth muscle constriction)
What are the key mediators of type I hypersensitivity?
Histamine
SRS-A
What is histamine? What does it do?
Preformed molecules in granules
Binds receptors on target cells (lungs, skin, blood vessels)
Vasodilation (key response because of chemotaxis), capillary permeability, smooth muscle contraction
Antihistamines block histamine receptors
What is SRS-A? What does it do?
Slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis
Produced after exposure to allergen, not preformed
Slow release and lag time
Bronchoconstrictor implicated in asthma
