Quiz: Antibiotics, Antifungals, Antivirals, and immune system drugs Flashcards
Hematopoiesis
The formation and maturation of blood cells; this occurs in the bone marrow
Hematopoietic stem cells differentiate to become:
- Erythrocytes (RBC)
- Leukocytes (WBC)
- Thrombocytes (platelets)
Leukopenia
Low white blood cells
Leukocytosis
High white blood cell count
Thrombocytopenia
Low platelets - have bleeding problems
Immunity
The ability to resist and fight infection
- Requires help from both WBCs and the lymphatic system
- Recognition, processing, and destruction of foriegn invaders
- Removal of damaged cells
- Protection against proliferation of abnormal or malignant cells
Antigens
Foreign or “nonself” substances that trigger the immune system
Active immunity
The immune system is stimulated to produce antibodies by a pathogen or its vaccine
Generates memory B cells
Passive immunity
When antibodies are “transferred” or “donated” from one person to another
- Protection is short-lived (does not generate B cells)
- Maternal antibodies cross the placenta
- Gamma globulin given after exposure to hepatitis
- Sera to treat botulism, tetanus, and rabies
- Anti-venom for snake pite
Immunomodulator
- A general term referring to any drug or therapy that affects body defenses
- Some are used to stimulate body defenses so that microbes or cancer cells can be attacked (immunostimulant)
- Some are used to suppress body defences to prevent organ transplant regection or treat autoimmune diseases (immunosuppressant)
Vaccination/immunization
The injection of a killed or weakened organism that produced immunity against that organism
Booster
Follow-up vaccination to provide sustained protection
Vaccines that do not maintain life immunity need a “boost”
Titer
The amount of antibody detected after the vaccine has been administered; shows if you have the antibody response (or not)
If it is below a certain level, a booster is needed
Attenuated (live) vaccines
Microbes are alive but weakened so that they are unable to produce the disease (unless patient is immunocompromised)
- Can sometimes cause subclinical symptoms
- Examples: measles, mumps, rubella vaccines, oral polio, varicella
Inactivated (killed) vaccines
Microbes are unable to replicate or cause disease
- Examples: influenza, hepatitis A vaccine
- Symptoms are the body building up the antibody response, not you getting sick
- Your system does get a little weaker while building antibody response an can make you more susceptible to fight off other infections
Toxoid
Contains bacterial toxins that have been chemically modified to be incapable of causing disease
- Examples: diptheria, tetanus toxoid
- Toxoid comes from the bacteria and the immune system builds up a response to that toxin
- Typically needs a booster
Recombinant
Contains partial viral subunits or bacterial proteins that are generated in a lab using biotechnology
- Example: heptatis B vaccine
Common adverse effects of vaccinations
Discomfort and redness at site, aches, fever
Contrainidcations of vaccines
- Illness
- Immune system is already working hard to build antibodies and will not be able to make additional antibodies for influenza
- Need to be fever free for 24 hours
- Pregnancy (depends on vaccination)
- Immunocompromised clients should not receive live vaccines
- Includes patients receiving systemic steroids (not able to build up antibody response)
- Bone marrow transplants after they are destabilized typically need to get re-immunized afterward
Biologic Response Modifiers
- Cytokines secreted in response to antigens
- Chemical mediators
- Associated with immflammation and wound healing
- Stimulate (boost) the immune system to work more effectively
- Can be produced in lab by recombinant DNA technology
- Used to treat viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancers
- Targer response to a specific piece of the immune system (less systemic)
- Examples:
- Interferons
- Interleukins
- BCG (vaccine to treat certain types of bladder cancer)
- Granulyte Colony Stimulating Factors/filgrastim (stimulates WBC production)
Interferons
- Are cytokines that have been infected with a virus
- they attach to uninfected cells and signal them to secrete antiviral proteins
- “Interfere” with the ability of viral infections to spread; enhance activity of leukocytes (immune system)
- Antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory properties
- Associated with serious adverse effects: depression, suicidal ideation, psychosis, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary/hepatic/renal impairments, and more
Therapeutic class of Interferon alfa-2b
Immunostimulant
Pharmacologic class of Interferon alfa-2b
Interferon, biologic response modifier
Indications of Interferon alfa-2b
Certain cancers (hair cell leukemia, melanoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, Kaposi’s sarcoma), viral infections (HPV, chronic hepatitis B and C)