Pathology Flashcards
Inflammatory Response - normal phases (6)
Vascular Exudative Resolution Supparation Organisation Chronic inflammation
What is the vascular phase of inflammation and how long does it last
Lasts 15 mins to several hours. Up to 10 fold increase in blood flow increases the hydrostatic pressure and causes a transudate (low protein). Plasma protein leaks into the tissues due to the decreased intravascular oncotic pressure.
What causes the increased vascular permeability of the vascular phase of inflammation?
Contraction of endothelial cells
What are the three phases of the exudative phase?
Margination
Adhesion
Emigration
Inflammation, exudative phase, what is margination
The loss of intravascular fluid due to a breach from injury causes increased plasma viscosity, so flow slows at the injury site allowing neutrophils to flow closer to the epithelium
Inflammation, exudative phase, what is adhesion and what impairs it
Neutrophils adhere to the endothelial surface by increased expression of leukocyte adhesion molecule and increased expression of epithelial surface adhesion molecule
Impaired by diabetes, corticosteriod use, acute alcohol intoxication, inherited adhesion deficiencies
Inflammation, exudative phase, what is emigration
Migration of neutrophils through the basement membrane by active amoeboid movement
Inflammation, what is resolution
Back to normal state with regeneration of damaged tissue
Inflammation, what is supparation
A persistent causative agent that leads to pus formation and becomes walled off by a pyogenic membrane that is inaccessible to the body’s defences.
Inflammation, what is fibrosis
Where a large area of tissue is destroyed or unable to regenerate. The scar tissue is mainly collagen, inflexible and may impair function
Inflammation, what is chronic inflammation
A persistent causative agent that lasts months to years. There is tissue destruction and cellular exudate changes. It is mainly dominated by macrophage, lymphocyte and plasma cells, and their toxins damage host tissue
In the later stage of inflammation, what is chemotaxis
Neutrophils are attracted towards complement, IL8, leukotriene B4 and bacterial products
What is opsonisation
This prepares a particle for phagocytosis by coating it in Ig or complement, thus marking it for destruction
How do bacteria activate the complement pathway?
Bacterial polysaccharides activate the alternative complement pathway and generate C3b.
Antibodies bind bacterial antigens and activate the classical complement pathway and generate C3b
What happens at the phagocytosis phase
Neutrophils send out pseudopodia around the opsonised particles which fuse, containing the particle in a phagosome bound by a cell membrane. Lysosomes bind with the phagosome forming a phagolysosome to begin intracellular killing
Explain oxygen dependent intracellular killing
Neutrophils produce hydrogen peroxidase which reacts with myeloperoxidase to produce microbicidal agents. Oxygen is reduced by NADPH oxidase to produce free radicals.
What does oxygen independent intracellular killing use?
Lysozymes, lactoferrin, acid hydrolase and defensins
What happens in chronic granulomatous disease?
NADPH is deficient causing recurrent bacterial infections
What happens in myeloperoxidase deficiency
Frequent candidal infections
Chemical mediators - histamine
From mast cells, basophils and platelets. Stimulated by C3a, C5a, IgE, lysosomal proteins and physical injury
Chemical mediators - serotonin
from platelets - causes vasodilation, increases vascular permeability and promotes chemotaxis
Chemical mediators - lysosomal compounds
from neutrophils - causes vasodilation, increases vascular permeability and promotes chemotaxis
Chemical mediators - Prostaglandins
From arachadonic acid
Thromboxane A2 - from platelets, causes vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation
Prostacyclin - from endothelium, inhibits platelet aggregation
Prostaglandin - causes pain
Chemical mediators - Cytokines
From arachadonic acid
IL1 +TNF - causes fever, increases adhesion molecules and activates neutrophils
IL8 - chemotactic
Complement C5a
Chemotactic
Complement C3b, C4b, C2a
Oponin
Complement C3a, C5a
Stimulates histamine release
Complement C5b-C9
Membrane attack complex
The Kinin cascade
Activated by factor XII and leads to formation of bradykinin which causes vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, bronchoconstriction and pain
Beneficial local effects of inflammation (6)
Permits entry of antibodies leading to the breakdown of microorganisms, increased delivery of nutrients and oxygen, dilution of toxins and stimulation of the immune system
Harmful local effects of inflammation (2)
Damage to normal tissue
Swelling (epiglottitis, compartment syndrome)
Systemic effects of inflammation (5)
Malaise, anorexia, nausea, pyrexia, raised ESR
Causes of leukocytosis - neutrophilia
Pyogenic infection
Causes of leukocytosis - eosinophilia
Allergy and parasites
Causes of leukocytosis - lymphocytosis
Chronic infection and viral
Causes of leukocytosis - monocytosis
mononucleosis, some bacterial (TB, Typhoid)
Causes of abnormal inflammation (9)
Genetic malformation, cancer, atherosclerosis, allergy, asthma, autoimmune, chronic inflammation, vasculitis, transplant rejection
What is CRP
An acute phase reactant hat rises dramatically with inflammation in response to increased Il6 released by macrophages. Rises more in bacterial infections than viral. It is synthesised and secreted by the liver. It binds phosphocholine opsonizing damaged or foreign cells for phagocytosis
What is Rheumatoid Factor
An autoantibody against the Fc portion of IgG. High levels indicate rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome. The sigher the level the higher the risk of a more destructive arthropathy.
What is ANF
Antinuclear factor or antinuclear antibodies are autoantibodies against the cell nucleus, present in various disorders
Specific subtype of ANF found in SLE
All ANF
Specific subtype of ANF found in systemic sclerosis
All ANF, Scl-70
Specific subtype of ANF Limited scleroderma
All ANF, anti-centromere
Specific subtype of ANF Sjogren’s syndrome
All ANF, anti-RO, Anti-La
3 layers of the normal immune response
Physical, innate, adaptive
Physical immune barriers (5)
Coughing and sneezing Tears and urine to flush away Skin and mucus Commensal flora outcompete Gastric acid neutralises most bacteria
What is the innate immune response
Non-specific. Initiated when microbes are identified from components common to large groups of microbes and when injured cells signal
What are the four main functions of the immune system?
Recruit immune cells to the site
Activate the complement cascade
Identify and remove foreign substances
Activate the adaptive response by antigen presentation
First innate immune response is
Inflammation
Second innate immune response is
Cellular response - white cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and natural killer cells) identify and eliminate pathogens
Third innate immune response
Complement cascade
When is the adaptive immune response initiated?
When the innate response presents enough antigen
What is the function of the adaptive immune response
Recognises non-self
Generate specifically tailored immune responses to the particular pathogen
Develop a memory to remember the pathogen and allow easier elimination of subsequent infections
What are the main cellular components of the adaptive immune response
T and B lymphocytes