Practical Flashcards
What is a plaque?
An area of disturbed or lysed cells
Seen as a clearing
What is a plaque forming unit (pfu)?
That which can infect one cell in a monolayer to give rise to a plaque
How is pfu related to virus particle numbers?
Relationship is variable fro 1:1 to 1:100
Can be calculated using latex beads and EM microscope
Or calculating pfu/vol and then particle/pfu ratio
What is the infectious centre assay?
Process of applying pre-infected cells to the monolayer
What is the eclipse phase?
When virus in uncoated and disassembled as it undergoes transcription and translation
What is a monolayer?
Single layer of tissue culture cells
If cells are touching each other, this is described as confluent
What is the cytopathic effect (cpe)?
Disturbed appearance of cells due to pathogen
Why is Acyclovir (ACV) added after infection with a virus?
ACV works at the level of disrupting DNA replication
So virus needs to be allowed to infect before testing action of ACV
Why is acyclovir such as good drug?
- Doesn’t interfere with host replication
- Selective as it needs to be activated by thymidine kinase
- Can be used a prophylactic
- Available in various forms, oral and intravenous forms
- Effective against HSV and VZV
Describe the Influenza Haemagglutination Assay (HA) and the inhibition assay (HAI)
Influenza virus , via its HA molecule, binds to Sialic acid on RBC causing agglutination
In the HAI assay, antibodies bind to HA on influenza, and prevent their binding to sialic acid, preventing agglutination
~ Last well showing agglutination is equal to 1 HA unit
What is an adenoma?
Tumour with glandular structures
What is a teratoma and what does it look like?
Tumour formed from all 3 germ cell layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm)
- Can contain, teeth, hair and muscle
What can be done to distinguish between Staphylococcus aureus and other Staph species?
- Coagulase test
- S.aureus produces coagulase, causing clotting
- Rest are coagulase negative - Catalase test
- S. aureus is positive, producing the enzyme catalase
- Catalyses the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen - Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) test
- S. aureus ferments mannitol resulting in a change in pH, producing yellow colonies.
- Other species produces pink colonies or no colour change is seen - PCR
What tests can be done to distinguish between enterococci and Staphylocci?
- Catalase test
- Staphylococcus auereus is positive, while enterococcus is not
- Catalase to breakdown H2O2 requires oxygen, and enteric environments are largely anaerobic
What is the use of the MacConkey plate?
- Whether bacteria can grow in bile salts (present in enteric environment)
- Also checks for presence of β- lactase
- Red colonise, ferment lactose and produce acid e.g. Enterococcus faecalis
- Yellow colonise, don’t ferment lactose e.g. Salmonella
What is the use of the CLED plate?
- Isolate bacteria found in the urine
- Also can be used as a pH
YELLOW = Acid producing, lactose fermenting e.g. E.coli and Ent. faecalis
PALE GREEN/BLUE = Non-acidic e.g. Salmonella - Plate also inhibits swarming ability of Proteus mirabilis a common bacteria found in UT infections
Give examples of 3 bacteria that are obligate anaerobes
Clostridium tetani
Clostridium sporogenes
Bacteriodes fragilis
What is the difference in morphology of C.tetani and C.sporogenes?
C.sporogenes
- Gram positive rod shaped,
- Mini gunshot, slightly raised colonies
C.tetani
- Gram positive rod shaped
- Swarm growth, ruffled edges
What gram stain and shape is Bacteriodes fragilis?
- Gram negative
- Rod-shaped
What is a leiomyoma?
- Mesenchymal tumour
- Non-cancerous growth in the smooth muscle cells of the uterus
- Generally benign, non-invasive tumours
- Also known as fibroids
What karyotype change can be associated with leiomyomas?
Chromosome 12 and 14 translocation
Where might a tumour that has metastasised to the lymph node originate from?
- Likely from the breast, due to close proximity
- Lung
What do you understand by the term moderately differentiated
adenocarcinoma?
- Arises from glandular tissue
- Malignant
- Not well differentiated
- Shows little/ some resemblance to parent tissue
Where are adenomcarcinomas located?
Malignant tumours that originate from grandular tissue
In which ventricle is a myocardial infarct more likely to occur in?
Left
What types of hypersensitivity can result in ischaemia?
All but especially
Type 1
- rapid inflammation, vasodilation = hypotension
What occurs in the development of an atherosclerotic plaque?
- Endothelial cells damaged by oxidised lipoproteins
- Smooth muscles secrete/ present collagen
- Macrophages differentiate and form foam cells
- Accumulate and form fatty streaks
- Fibrous cap- Increased deposition of collagen
Describe ent faecalis
- Diploccoci
- Gram positive
- Lactose fermentation = Yellow CLED plate
- Red MacConkey (lactose fermentation)
- Catalase negative
What are the 3 components of granulation tissue? What does the tissue look like?
- Fibroblasts
- Angiogenesis
- Macrophages
= new vessels thin capillaries, darkly stained cells, some collagen deposition
Describe the pathophysiology of sepsis
- Detection of infection
- Immune response
- Dysregulated balance between pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Endothelial dysfunction
- Organ damage
Describe fibrous scarring
- Fibrin in whorl like structures
- Follows granulation tissue formation
What are the components of a structured report for a histology section?
- Location
- Description of cells and changes
- Name pathology e.g. inflammation
- Diagnosis or process e.g. repair, pneumonia
What stimulates angiogenesis?
VEGF and FGF
What causes fibroblast recruitment?
TGF-beta
FGF
What is a urease test and what is it used for?
Tests whether organism can hydrolyse urea to ammonia and CO2
- Yes leads to pink colour change e.g. H.pylori
What differs the white pulp and red pulp areas in the spleen?
White pulp- darker, due to large number of WBC, minimal RBC
Red pulp - contains more RBC, old and new and is where lymphoid follicle with germinal centre forms
In what situations are eosinophils commonly found in ?
Allergic response
Type I hypersensitivity
What does a toluidine blues stain show?
Mast cells containing
- serotonin, cytokine, and histamines
What is miliary TB?
TB that has spread in the blood to other organs
What is the significance of a reduction in CD4 T-cell count?
Suggests autoimmune diseases e.g. HIV that targets CD4 via gp120
- Increased risk of opportunistic infections
What triggers the smooth muscle cells in the tunica media to migrate
to the tunica intima, proliferate and secrete extracellular matrix?
- Macrophages become activated by oxidised LDL
- Secrete factors
- Recruit smooth muscle
- Muscle proliferates and secretes collagen
What are the histological differences between older and younger thrombi?
Younger
- Clearer laminations
- RBC passively entrapped
- EBC degenerating
Older
- Less visible laminations
What is the histological difference between thrombus formed in veins and arteries?
Artery - white thrombi
- Platelets and fibrin
Vein - red thrombi
- caused by slow moving blood
- Greater proportion or RBC