Session 2 - Acute Inflammation

Question 1

Name some causes of an acute inflammatory response

Answer 1

• Microbial infections
• Hypersensitivity reactions
• Physical agents
• Chemicals
• Tissue necrosis

Question 2

Name the cardinal signs of acute inflammation

Answer 2

• Calor (Heat)
• Rubor (Redness)
• Tumor (Oedemma)
• Dolor (Pain)
  And loss of function

Question 3

Name the steps involved in acute inflammation

Answer 3

1 - Vasodilation
2 - Gaps form in endothelium
3 - Exudation
4 - Margination and Emigration of Neutrophils

Question 4

Name the chemical mediators involved in vasodilation

Answer 4

Histamine, Prostaglandins, C3a, C5a

Question 5

Name the chemical mediators involved in increasing vascular permeability

Answer 5

Histamine, Prostaglandins, Kinins

Question 6

Name the chemical mediators involved in emigration of leukocytes

Answer 6

Leukotrienes, IL-8, C5a

Question 7

Discuss the action of neutrophils

Answer 7

• Move to site of injury though chemotaxis
• Phagocytose micro-organisms by making contact, recognising and internalising them
• Then form with lysosomes to have contents destroyed
• Activated neutrophils may release toxic metabolites and enzymes that can cause damage to host tissue

Question 8

Name some acute phase responses to acute inflammation

Answer 8

• Decreased appetite, increased heart rate, altered sleep patterns
• Changes in conc of acute phase plasma proteins;
  e. g C-reactive protein (CRP), Fibrinogen and alpha1-antitrypsin

Question 9

Name the three types of systemic consequences of acute inflammation

Answer 9

• Acute phase responses
• Fever
• Leukocytosis

Question 10

What may occur following acute inflammation?

Answer 10

• Complete Resolution
• Continued acute inflammation with chronic inflammation (abscess)
• Chronic inflammation and fibrous repair
• Death

Question 11

What features of chemical mediators allows them to have their actions stopped?

Answer 11

Short half lives

Question 12

How may chemical mediators have their actions stopped?

Answer 12

Degradation, Dilution or Inhibition

Question 13

When is complete resolution not possible?

Answer 13

If tissue architecture is damaged

Question 14

Name some possible complications of acute inflammation

Answer 14

• Swelling
• Exudate
• Loss of fluid
• Pain and loss of function

Question 15

Name some clinical examples of acute inflammation

Answer 15

• Skin Blisters
• Abscesses
• Pericarditis

Question 16

What is Hereditary Angio Oedemma?

Answer 16

• Disorder caused by deficiency in C1 inhibitor
• C1 inhibitor also inhibits Bradykinin
• Uninhibited Bradykinin vastly increases vascular permeability -> Oedemma
• Treated with C1 inhibitor infusions or frozen fresh plasma

Question 17

What is alpha1-anti trypsin deficiency?

Answer 17

• Disorder of acute inflammation
• Alpha1-anti trypsin usually inhibits elastase
• Without inhibition elastase breaks down liver and lung tissue
• causes emphysema and liver sclerosis

Question 18

What is Chronic Granulomtaous Disease?

Answer 18

• recessive sex-linked disorder
• Immune phagocytes cannot form ROS
• some bacteria need ROS to destroy them
• Granulomas formed in an attempt to contain bacteria

Question 19

What is Acute Inflammation?

Answer 19

The response of living tissue to injury, with the aim of limiting damage to tissue