Vasculitis Flashcards
What is vasculitis?
inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels, which may affect arteries, viens and capillaries
List three immune mechanisms likely involved in vasculitic syndromes
- Deposition of immune complexes
- direct attach on vessels by circulating antibodies
- various forms of cell-mediated immunity
Is serum sickness linked with vasculitis? How?
Yes. In animal models of serum sickness, immune complexes and complement are found in local vasculitis. In human cases, immune complexes are not always present (not well understood)
How might vascular antigens cause vasculitis? Give an example
Viral antigen-antibody complexes circulate and are deposited in vascular lesions. Example is hepatitis B virus associated with case of polyarteritis nodosa.
ANCAs are associated with what types of vasculitis (small, medium or large vessel)?
Small vessel vasculitis (ex, Wegener’s granulomatosis)
What do P-ANCA and C-ANCA stand for?
P-ANCA: Perinuclear immunofluorescence Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies
C-ANCA: Cytoplasmic immunofluorescence Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies
What is Polyarteritis nodosa?
An acute, necrotizing vasculitis that affects medium sized and smaller muscular arteries, and occasionally larger arteries.
What is Hypersensitivity Angiitis?
A broad category of inflammatory vascular lesions that are thought to represent a reaction to foreign materials.
What terms refer to hypersensitivity angiitis confined predominantly to the skin?
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (nuclear debris from neutrophils), cutaneous vasculitis or cutaneous necrotizing venulitis (predominantly involving venules)
What is another name for microscopic polyangiitis? What marker is strongly associated with it?
Systemic hypersensitivity angiitis. Strongly associated with P-ANCA
What is giant cell arteritis?
A focal, chronic, granulomatous inflammation, mainly of the temporal arteries. Also known as temporal arteritis or granulomatous arteritis.
What is Wegener granulomatosis? What marker is it associated with?
A systematic, necrotizing vasculitis characterized by granulomatous lesions of the nose, sinuses, lungs and renal glomerular disease. Associated with ANCA, especially C-ANCA
What is Churg-Strauss Syndrome? What is another name for this syndrome?
Also known as allergic granulomatosis and angiitis; a systemic vasculitis in young patients with asthma. Involves intenese eosinophils infiltrates, and frequently positive for P-ANCA.
What is takayasu arteritis? What is another name for this condition, and why?
An inflammatory idsease affecting the aorta and its major branches. Also known as pulseless disease, because involvement of the subclavian artery can lead to decreased/undetectable pulses.
What is Kawasaki disease? What is a synonym for this condition?
An acute, necrotizing vasculitis of infancy and early childhood that targets the coronary arteries. Characterized by high fever, rash, conjunctival and oral lesions and lymphadenitis. Also known as Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome.
