Pathology

Question 1

What is the cellular adaptation to prolonged barbituate use?

Answer 1

hypertrophy of the smooth ER in hepatocytes for increased availability of cytochrome P-450 for breakdown of toxins

Question 2

what are the two main biochemical pathways involved in muscle hypertrophy after increased use/ strain

Answer 2

phosphoinositide 3-kinase/ Akt (exercise induced) and signalling via G-protein coupled receptors

Question 3

what are two kinds of hyperplasia

Answer 3

1. hormonal hyperplasia (increases functional capacity of a tissue); 2. compensatory hyperplasia (response to damage)

Question 4

what is cachexia?

Answer 4

muscle wasting due to use of muscle as an energy source when fat reserves are depleted

Question 5

what is lipofuscin

Answer 5

a brown pigment that increases with aging in the cell cytoplasm

Question 6

what sorts of phenomena cause atrophy? (name at least 5)

Answer 6

disuse, denervation, lack of nutrients, ischemia, malnutrition (protein malnutrition= marasmus), loss of endocrine stimulation, compression

Question 7

what is bcl-2 and what does it do

Answer 7

B cell lymphoma-2 inhibits apoptosis by inhibiting action of cytochrome C

Question 8

name at least four gram-positive bacterial infections

Answer 8

Staphylococcal, Streptococcal, Enterococcal, Diptheria, Listeriosis, Anthrax, Nocardia

Question 9

list at least four gram-negative bacterial infections

Answer 9

Neisserial, Whooping cough (Pertusis), Pseudomonas, Plague, Chancroid (soft canchre), Granuloma Inguinale

Question 10

list at least two mycobacterial infections

Answer 10

Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Complex, Leprosy

Question 11

list at least two spirochete (bacterial) infections

Answer 11

Syphilis, Relapsing Fever, Lyme Disease

Question 12

list at least one anaerobic bacterial infection

Answer 12

abscesses caused by anaerobes, Clostridial infections

Question 13

list at least one obligate intracellular bacterial infection

Answer 13

Chlamydial infections, Rickettsial infections

Question 14

list at least two fungal infections

Answer 14

Candidiasis, Cryptococcosis, Aspergillosis, Zygomycosis

Question 15

list at least four protozoa (parasite) infections

Answer 15

Malaria, Babesiosis, Leishmaniasis, African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas Disease

Question 16

list at least two metazoa (parasite) infections

Answer 16

Strongyloidiasis, Tapeworms, Trichinosis, Schistosomiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis

Question 17

name a cellular or tissue level complication of atherosclerosis

Answer 17

hemorrhage, calcification, thrombosis

Question 18

increased cholesterol and what other major substance leads to atherosclerosis

Answer 18

HDL

Question 19

what are cholesterol clefts

Answer 19

cholesterol in the arteries forms small white slits in the atherosclerotic portion of the vessel

Question 20

what is Monckeberg’s medial calcific sclerosis

Answer 20

calcified deposits in the tunica media of the vessel

Question 21

what are lines of Zahn

Answer 21

alternating bands of pink (fibrin) and red (thrombus)

Question 22

what is karyolysis vs. pyknosis vs. karyorrhexis

Answer 22

karyolysis= nuclear fading (chromatin dissolves)
pyknosis= nuclear shrinkage (DNA condenses)
karyorrhexis= nuclear fragmentation (nuclear membrane ruptures and nucleus fragments)

Question 23

scleroderma patients can present with which type of ateriolosclerosis

Answer 23

hyperplastic; scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes fibrosis and hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis

Question 24

what is Trousseau’s sign/syndrome?

Answer 24

successive venous thrombi, due to a hypercoagulable state and indicative of certain cancers

Question 25

why is homocysteine significant for cardiovascular health?

Answer 25

high levels of homocysteine in the blood are an indicator

Question 26

true or false: neurons require insulin for uptake of glucose

Answer 26

false: this is why the brain is sensitive to hyperglycemia (in addition to hypoglycemia). Inappropriate absorption of glucose leads to formation of sorbitol and osmotic cell injury.

Question 27

what is the role of microRNAs

Answer 27

suppress translation by inhibiting translation of genes and sometimes via mRNA cleavage

Question 28

what is the association between methylation and cancer

Answer 28

studies have associated hypomethylation to development of cancer

Question 29

what gene must first be knocked out for cancer to develop via methylation

Answer 29

APC

Question 30

min 17-19b along with an oncogene leads to

Answer 30

aggressive metastatic cancer

Question 31

explain how changes in miRNA leads to oncogenesis

Answer 31

insufficient levels of a miRNA acting on an oncogene=> oncogenesis;
overactivity of miRNA corresponding to a tumor suppressor => oncogenesis

Question 32

what function do DNMT (DNA methyltransferase) inhibitors and HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors serve

Answer 32

DNMTi and HDACi inhibit epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressors

Question 33

list the steps towards breast cancer diagnosis

Answer 33

1. mammogram, 2. core biopsy

Question 34

what are LCIS and DCIS

Answer 34

lobular carcinoma in situ, ductal carcinoma in situ (these are non-invasive and don’t pass through the basement membrane)

Question 35

name proliferative factors (inciting agents) for breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer

Answer 35

estrogen and progesterone for breast, testosterone for prostate, EGF for lung carcinoma

Question 36

in considering the cellular response to injury, what kinds of cellular changes are reversible?

Answer 36

dilation of organelles, ribosome disaggregation, blebbing

Question 37

in considering the cellular response to injury, what two cellular changes represent irreversible cell injury?

Answer 37

mitochondrial swelling and rupture, disruption of integrity of the cell membrane