Sexually transmitted agents Flashcards
STDs are a large cause of morbidity and mortality across the world. Complications include:
- congenital infection, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, cancers, enhanced transmission of HIV
- When other STDs are present, transmission of HIV is 2-5x higher
- if we better control STDs, can decrease HIV transmission
- HIV also makes one more likely to get other STDs
There _________ new STD infections int he US annually and nearly half of these will occur in what age group?
- 20 million
- adolescents/young adults (15-24)
Why haven’t STDs disappeared in the US despite better treatments and screening?
- people still have unprotected sex
- clinicians dont keep up with treatment guidelines
- asymptomatic nature= not diagnosed
- gender and sex differences
Gender differences in STDs
- women are biologically more susceptible, often asymptomatic or minimally so
- so more difficult to diagnose and more likely to suffer from more frequent and more serious health complications
Adolescent women and STDs
-younger females do not have full cervical maturity that can lead to enhanced risk of infection with gonorrhea and chlamydia
What are the 2 most common bacterial STDs? What type of STDs do they cause?
- gonorrhea and chlamydia
- both cause clinically indistinguishable inflammatory STDs, but are bacteriologically very different
Gonorrhea and chlamydia symptoms in women, men, or both.
-Women: mucopurulent cervicitis, PID, tubo-ovarian abscess, peritonitis, dysuria-pyuria syndrome, Fitzhugh-Curtis syndrome (inflammation of Glisson’s capsule of liver)
- Men: urethritis and epididymitis
- Both: conjunctivitis and anorectal infection
Only gonorrhea can cause ______ and only chlamydia can cause _________.
- pharyngitis
- neonatal pneumonia
- *these occur in both men and women**
Sequelae of chlamydia vs. gonorrhea
- C: reactive arthritis (Reiter’s Syndrome)
- G: Disseminated Gonococcal infection (DGI) and reactive arthritis
Gonorrhea’s genus and species
- Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
- “flow of seed”
Physiology and structure of Gonorrhea
- gram negative
- diplococcus with adjacent sides flattened like coffee beans
- no capsule
- very fastidious and requires special media and 5% CO2 for isolation in culture
Gonorrhea virulence factors
- pili that allow for attachment to host cells
- Por protein
- Opa protein
- Lipooligosaccharide
- Beta Lactamase enzymes which promote penicillin resistance
Antigenic variation and pili of Gonorrhea
-allows for no significant immunity to develop and re infection can occur
Por Protein function
- virulence factor of gonorrhea
- promotes intracellular survival of organism allowing it to evade destruction by phagolysosome
Opa protein function
- VF of gonorrhea
- mediates binding to epithelial cells
Pathogenesis of Gonorrhea
- organism attaches to mucosal cells via pili and penetrates into the cells where it establishes infections in the subepithelial space
- lipooligosaccharide stimulates an inflammatory response that includes release of TNF and other cytokines
- WBCs are called in and this response results in inflammatory process and clinical findings of an “itis” and discharge
Where does gonorrhea establish infection?
-subepithelial space
Natural hosts of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
-only humans
Route of transmission of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
-direct mucosal contact with infected mucous membranes or fluids
Can you get gonorrhea from a toilet seat?
-no, it does not survive well outside the body
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae epidemic exists in what age group?
-adolescents where case rates 6-7 times higher than the general population
Is Neisseria Gonorrhoeae symptomatic?
- 90% of males infected become symptomatic in 5-7 days
- 50% of women become symptomatic within 2 weeks
- SCREENING IS ESSENTIAL
Gonorrhea lab diagnosis
- in men, gram stain of urethritis
- culture is weaning out due to weird conditions required to grow on (Thayer-martin media); make sure to swab all exposed sites
- Non-culture based diagnostics have become gold standard over last 2 decades
What are examples of non-culture based diagnostics used in gonorrhea and chlamydia diagnoses?
- PCR
- Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs)
- non invasive urine tests and NAATS
Treatment for uncomplicated Gonococcal infections
- intramuscular Ceftriaxone PLUS oral azithromycin
- single dose regimen
- ALWAYS treat for chlamydia co-infection
_______ in men and ________ in women can infect other mucousal sites and cause invasive disease (disseminated gonococcal infection)
- urethritis
- cervicitis
Physiology and structure of Chlamydia trachomatis
- obligate intracellular bacterium
- small, gram negative bacillus
- requires living tissues or cells for culture, which is labor intensive and insensitive
- exists in 2 forms
Transitions of cervical maturity
- prepuberty: cervical entrance is squamous and columnar cells
- Puberty: squamous, squamous-columnar junction (transitioning cells), columnar cells
- Postmenarche: 100% squamous cells
- *STDs target columnar cells, so younger girls are more at risk
What types of diagnostics are gold standard for Chlamydia?
-non-culture based diagnostics
Chlamydia has many serotypes: what are they and what do they cause?
- A,B,C: endemic trachoma of the eyes
- D-K: GU syndromes
- L1-L3: lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV)
What are the 2 forms C. trachomatis exists in? Are they both infectious?
- elementary body (EB); infectious form
- Reticulate body (RB): noninfectious, intracellular form that promotes replication
What life form is C. trachomatis transmitted in?
-elementary body
Describe the Chlamydia life cycle
- elementary body access epithelial cell
- forms reticulate bodies which multiple and form an inclusion
- Inclusion matures into RB and EB
- EBs multiple, lyse cell and spread
Pathogenesis of Chlamydia: receptors for the EB are only found on mucous membranes of…
- urethra
- endocervix, endometrium, fallopian tubes
- anorectum
- respiratory tract (pneumonia in children)
- conjunctiva
Why is re-infection problematic in Chlamydia?
- it causes cellular destruction and an inflammatory host immune response
- inflammatory response with re-infection is strong and can lead to end organ damage (sterility and blindness)
What are the hosts of chlamydia and how is it spread?
- humans are only natural host
- spread by direct mucosal contact with infected mucous membranes or fluids
Is chlamydia or gonorrea more widespread?
- chlamydia
- most commonly reported infectious disease in the US
Chlamydia rates in women appear to be increasing at a much higher rate than in men…why?
- better diagnostic tests in women because they have greater side effects
- so this discrepancy is due to greater diagnostic criteria for women