Ch 3

Question 1

In an experiment, a scientist treats a group of mice with an antiserum that substantially depletes the number of circulating neutrophils. Compared with untreated control animals, the mice with reduced numbers of neutrophils were found to be significantly more susceptible to death induced by bacterial inoculation. The increased mortality can be ascribed to a relative deficit in which of the following?

A. Acquired immunity
B. Oxidants
C. Platelets
D. Granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor
(GM-CSF)
E. Integrins

Answer 1

B. Oxidants

Question 2

A 20-year-old college student comes to the student health center in April complaining of runny nose and congestion, itchy eyes, and wheezing. She reports that similar symptoms have occurred at the same time each year, and that she obtains some relief from over-the-counter antihistamine drugs, although they make her too drowsy to study. Her symptoms can most likely be attributed to inappropriate synthesis of which of the following antibodies specific for tree pollen?

A. IgA
B. IgD
C. IgE
D. IgG
E. IgM

Answer 2

C. IgE

Question 3

If a nasal biopsy were performed on the patient described in Question 2 while symptomatic, histologic examination of the tissue would most likely reveal degranulation of which of the following cell types?

A. Dendritic cells
B. Lymphocytes
C. Neutrophils
D. Monocytes
E. Mast cells

Answer 3

E. Mast cells

Question 4

A biotechnology company is working to design a new therapeutic strategy for cancer that involves triggering an enhanced immune response to cellular proteins that are mutated in the disease. Which of the following immune cells or processes will most likely not be required for a successful therapy?
A. Cytotoxic T cells
B. Antigen presentation in the context of MHC-II
C. Proteosomal degradation
D. Gene rearrangements producing T cell receptors
E. The immune synapse

Answer 4

B. Antigen presentation in the context of MHC-II

Question 5

The ability of the blood to phagocytose pathogens and mount a respiratory burst is increased by

A. interleukin-2 (IL-2)
B. granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)
C. erythropoietin
D. interleukin-4 (IL-4)
E. interleukin-5 (IL-5)

Answer 5

B. granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)

Question 6

Cells responsible for innate immunity are activated most commonly by

A. glucocorticoids
B. pollen
C. carbohydrate sequences in bacterial cell walls 
D. eosinophils
E. thrombopoietin

Answer 6

C. carbohydrate sequences in bacterial cell walls

Question 7

A patient suffering from an acute flare in his rheumatoid arthritis undergoes a procedure where fluid is removed from his swollen and inflamed knee joint. Biochemical analysis
of the inflammatory cells recovered from the removed fluid would most likely reveal a decrease in which of the following proteins?
A. Interleukin-1
B. Tumor necrosis factor-α
C. Nuclear factor-κB
D. IκBα
E. von Willbrand factor

Answer 7

D. IκBα