UWorld Flashcards
(184 cards)
Leukotriene B4
stimulates neutrophil migration to sites of inflammation. Other important chemotactic agents include 5-HETE (leukotriene precursor), complement component C5a, and IL-8
The morphology of Candida includes branching pseudohyphae with blastoconidia (budding cells). Most species are susceptible to ….
echinocandins, and C albicans is nearly always susceptible to fluconazole.
Urinalysis in patients with Chlamydia trachomatis infection classically shows ….
sterile pyuria (positive urine white blood cells, no bacteria on Gram stain, no growth on culture) because the C trachomatis bacterium is an obligate intracellular bacterium with minimal peptidoglycan in its cell wall. The diagnostic test of choice is nucleic acid amplification testing.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura classically presents with the pentad of ….
severe thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (eg, schistocytes on peripheral smear), renal insufficiency, neurologic symptoms, and fever. However, all these signs and symptoms are rarely present. Diagnosis is often made by identifying severe deficiency of ADAMTS-13, a protease that cleaves large von Willebrand factor multimers off the endothelium
TTP labs
Hemolytic anemia (↑ LDH, ↓ haptoglobin) with schistocytes on peripheral smear
Thrombocytopenia (↑ bleeding time, normal PT/PTT)
Sometimes with:
Renal failure
Neurologic manifestations
Fever
Glutamate causes hyperactivation of what….
Glutamate is released from injured neurons, causing pathologic hyperactivation of NMDA receptors and leading to depolarization, calcium overload, and death of neighboring cells. This cascade of excitotoxicity contributes to neurodegeneration and propagation of neuron death after focal injury.
What do you give burn patients to prevent protein catabolism?
Patients with severe burn injury commonly develop a hypermetabolic response that results in an increased basal metabolic rate and, often, lean muscle wasting. Administration of oxandrolone, a synthetic testosterone analogue, enhances muscle protein synthesis and decreases protein catabolism, reducing lean muscle loss.
How does doxycycline work?
Rocky mountain spotted fever is a tick-borne illness due to Rickettsia rickettsii, a weakly gram-negative, obligate intracellular organism that has an affinity for vascular endothelial cells. Patients usually have nonspecific symptoms (eg, fever, malaise, myalgia) followed by a macular-petechial rash that begins on the ankles and wrists and spreads to the center of the body as well as to the palms and soles. Urgent treatment with doxycycline, an inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis, is required.
Labs/Xrays for RA
Positive rheumatoid factor & anti–CCP antibodies
C-reactive protein & ESR correlate with disease activity
X-ray: soft tissue swelling, joint space narrowing, bony erosions
whats defective in Xeroderma pigmentosum
Xeroderma pigmentosum is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by defective nucleotide excision repair often caused by a deficiency in UV-specific endonuclease. Affected children usually have severe photosensitivity, hyperpigmentation in sun-exposed areas, and a greatly increased risk for skin cancer.
Giant Cell arteritis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the mediawith fragmentation of the internal elastic lamina most often affectingthe medium and small branches of the carotid artery. Ischemic optic neuropathy with irreversible blindness is a potential complication of GCA; therefore, patients with suspected GCA require immediate glucocorticoid therapy.
How does colchicine work?
Colchicine is a second-line agent for treating acute gouty arthritis. It inhibits tubulin polymerization and microtubule formation in leukocytes, reducing neutrophil chemotaxis and emigration to sites inflamed by tissue deposition of monosodium urate crystals. Gastrointestinal mucosal function is also impaired by microtubule disruption, leading to diarrhea and, less commonly, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
What is GFAP?
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is normally found in glia, and tumors of glial lineage are often positive for GFAP. Synaptophysin is normally found in neurons and neuroendocrine cells; tumors with neuronal or neuroendocrine differentiation are typically positive for synaptophysin.
metabolic acidosis, NAG
loss bicarb: diarrhea, RTA, excessive saline infusion
metabolic acidosis elevated anion gap
acc of. acidic compounds: LA, diabetic ketoacidosis, renal failure, methanol, ethylene glycol, salicylate toxicity
what initially offsets PE in heart failure
lymph drainage, increased
what does FAS do
The Fas receptor acts to initiate the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Mutations involving the Fas receptor or Fas ligand can prevent apoptosis of autoreactive lymphocytes, thereby increasing the risk of autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
What receptor important to isotype switch
Isotype switching is the process through which activated B lymphocytes switch production from IgM immunoglobulins to IgG and IgA isotypes. This process requires the interaction of CD40 on activated B cells with CD40 ligand expressed by activated T cells and is modulated by cytokines secreted by T cells.
What can cause ineffective hematopoesis
Folate is essential for nucleic acid metabolism, and deficiency causes ineffective hematopoiesis with a low reticulocyte count. Characteristic megaloblastic changes include hypersegmented neutrophils and macrocytic red blood cells. Macrocytic erythrocytes are prone to hemolysis, which can increase serum bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase.
The chronic myeloproliferative disorders (polycythemia vera, essential thrombocytosis, and primary myelofibrosis) often have a mutation in what?
Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase. This results in constitutive tyrosine kinase activity, and consequently, in the cytokine-independent activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins (JAK-STAT signaling pathway).
ANP and BNP
secreted by atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes in response to myocardial stretching induced by hypervolemia. These natriuretic peptides inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and stimulate peripheral vasodilation and increased urinary excretion of sodium and water. Neprilysin inhibitors (eg, sacubitril) prevent the degradation of ANP and BNP, enhancing their beneficial effects in heart failure.
ANP and BNP
increase GFR, increase diuresis, renin inhibition, decrease aldo, vasodilator, increase cap permeability
sarcomere is defined as the distance between two Z lines. Thin (actin) filaments in the I band are bound to structural proteins at the Z line, whereas thick (myosin) filaments in the A band are bound to structural proteins at the M line.
Mycobacterial resistance to isoniazid (INH) is primarily mediated by
reductions in the catalase-peroxidase enzyme or through genetic modification of the INH binding site on the mycolic acid synthesis enzyme.