M2 - Infectious diseases

Question 1

What is a virulence factor?

Answer 1

component of a pathogen that contributes to its ability to cause disease.

Question 2

What is a component of a pathogen that contributes to its ability to cause disease known as?

Answer 2

Virulence factor

Question 3

What are the roles of surface molecules?

Answer 3

• Attachment/ colonisation
• Rafting/ co-aggregation
• Promote clotting
• Signal transduction (interfere with host response)
• Internalisation (escape/ hide/ spread)

Question 4

What process are oral streptococci a product of?

Answer 4

Metabolism

Question 5

What acid is produced by oral streptococci?

Answer 5

Lactic acid

Question 6

When oral streptococci gain access to blood stream, what disease may they cause?

Answer 6

Infective endocarditis

Question 7

In infective endocarditis, what do pathogens adhere to?

Answer 7

platelet fibrin deposition

Question 8

What are some complications of infective endocarditis?

Answer 8

stroke
brain abscess
meningeal reaction

Question 9

What are the main factors when pathogens evade the innate immune system?

Answer 9

Capsules
Mechanisms that inhibit complement

Question 10

How may pathogens overcome the acquired immune response?

Answer 10

Change appearance

Question 11

What does the bacterial cell wall determine?

Answer 11

Whether bacteria is gram +ve or -ve

Question 12

What features do gram -ve bacteria have that gram +ve do not have?

Answer 12

lipopolysaccharides

Question 13

What is the function of a lipopolysaccharide?

Answer 13

Bind to cytokine releasing cells

Question 14

What is the main response to severe infection?

Answer 14

sepsis

Question 15

What can sepsis progress to?

Answer 15

septic shock