USMLE Step 1 Mnemonics To Remember Exam
Questions with Answers
1. IMMUNO/PATH correct answers:
2. Catalase + organisms
- In what disease are patients more susceptible and why?
correct answers: PLACESS Pseudomonas, Listeria, Aspergillus, Candida,
E.coli, S. aureus, Serratia
-CGD, because they lack NADPH oxidase needed for the respiratory burst and usually rely on their Peroxidase,
but these Catalase + organisms inhibit that Peroxidase
3. How do free radicals cause damage? correct answers: Tide PODs are bad
Peroxidation of
lipids Oxidation of
proteins DNA
damage
4. Carcinomas that spread hematogenously rather than through
lymphatics? correct answers: -
Four Carcinomas Route Hematogenously
Follicular thyroid
carcinoma
Choriocarcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
5. Antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis? correct answers: buy AT 30,
CCEL at 50
30S ribosomal subunit
correct answers:
Aminoglycosides
Tetracyclines
,50S ribosomal subunit
correct answers:
Chloramphenicol
Clindamycin
Erythromycin
Linezolid
6. Cytokines mnemonic? correct answers: Hot T-Bone stEAK
Il-1 correct answers: Fever
,Il-2 correct answers: T-cell stimulation
Il-3 correct answers: Bone marrow stimulation
Il-4 correct answers: class
switching to IgE (and IgG) Il-5
correct answers: class
switching to IgA
Il-6 correct answers: aKute phase protein stimulation
7. Cytokines secreted by Th1 cells? Th2? correct answers: Th1 correct
answers: 1, 2, "3" correct answers:
-Th1's secrete correct answers:
-1l-2 correct answers: stimulates growth of all T-cells
-3= IFN-gamma (third letter in greek alphabet) correct answers: stimulates macrophages and inhibits Th2
ditterentiation since Th2 cells secrete Il-10 which inhibits macrophages and dendritic cells; increases
MHC expression
Th2 correct answers: 4, 5, 10
-Il-4 correct answers: induces Th2 cells and promotes B cell growth and class switching to IgE and IgG
-Il-5 correct answers: class switching to IgA
-Il-10 correct answers: attenuates immune response correct answers: inhibits macrophages and dendritic
cells and decreases MHC II and Th1 cytokines
8. Caspases contain what amino acid and cleave what? correct answers: Contain
cysteine, cleave aspartic acid residues
Cysteine-ASPartic-acid-proteASES
9. Cytokines order of secretion? correct answers: Keep the single digit interleukins
straight because they come in sequence.
1. Macrophages can produce IL-1 which activates Th cells (CD4 T cells).
2. If the macrophages also produce IL-12, this will drive the Th cells to become Th1 cells (2 to Th1, or "to"
Th1).
3. If Th1 cells are induced, they will produce IL-2 (second cytokine in order) and both IL-3 and IFN-
, gamma (gamma is the 3rd letter of Greek alphabet and represents the 3, too). The IFN-gamma will
activate cytotoxic T cells (CD8 T cells).
4. If the macrophages produce only IL-1, this will drive the Th cells to become Th2 cells. If Th2 cells are
induced, they will produce IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 (note that they follow in order) that drive B cells to divide and
ditterentiate into plasma cells that produce antibody.
Questions with Answers
1. IMMUNO/PATH correct answers:
2. Catalase + organisms
- In what disease are patients more susceptible and why?
correct answers: PLACESS Pseudomonas, Listeria, Aspergillus, Candida,
E.coli, S. aureus, Serratia
-CGD, because they lack NADPH oxidase needed for the respiratory burst and usually rely on their Peroxidase,
but these Catalase + organisms inhibit that Peroxidase
3. How do free radicals cause damage? correct answers: Tide PODs are bad
Peroxidation of
lipids Oxidation of
proteins DNA
damage
4. Carcinomas that spread hematogenously rather than through
lymphatics? correct answers: -
Four Carcinomas Route Hematogenously
Follicular thyroid
carcinoma
Choriocarcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
5. Antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis? correct answers: buy AT 30,
CCEL at 50
30S ribosomal subunit
correct answers:
Aminoglycosides
Tetracyclines
,50S ribosomal subunit
correct answers:
Chloramphenicol
Clindamycin
Erythromycin
Linezolid
6. Cytokines mnemonic? correct answers: Hot T-Bone stEAK
Il-1 correct answers: Fever
,Il-2 correct answers: T-cell stimulation
Il-3 correct answers: Bone marrow stimulation
Il-4 correct answers: class
switching to IgE (and IgG) Il-5
correct answers: class
switching to IgA
Il-6 correct answers: aKute phase protein stimulation
7. Cytokines secreted by Th1 cells? Th2? correct answers: Th1 correct
answers: 1, 2, "3" correct answers:
-Th1's secrete correct answers:
-1l-2 correct answers: stimulates growth of all T-cells
-3= IFN-gamma (third letter in greek alphabet) correct answers: stimulates macrophages and inhibits Th2
ditterentiation since Th2 cells secrete Il-10 which inhibits macrophages and dendritic cells; increases
MHC expression
Th2 correct answers: 4, 5, 10
-Il-4 correct answers: induces Th2 cells and promotes B cell growth and class switching to IgE and IgG
-Il-5 correct answers: class switching to IgA
-Il-10 correct answers: attenuates immune response correct answers: inhibits macrophages and dendritic
cells and decreases MHC II and Th1 cytokines
8. Caspases contain what amino acid and cleave what? correct answers: Contain
cysteine, cleave aspartic acid residues
Cysteine-ASPartic-acid-proteASES
9. Cytokines order of secretion? correct answers: Keep the single digit interleukins
straight because they come in sequence.
1. Macrophages can produce IL-1 which activates Th cells (CD4 T cells).
2. If the macrophages also produce IL-12, this will drive the Th cells to become Th1 cells (2 to Th1, or "to"
Th1).
3. If Th1 cells are induced, they will produce IL-2 (second cytokine in order) and both IL-3 and IFN-
, gamma (gamma is the 3rd letter of Greek alphabet and represents the 3, too). The IFN-gamma will
activate cytotoxic T cells (CD8 T cells).
4. If the macrophages produce only IL-1, this will drive the Th cells to become Th2 cells. If Th2 cells are
induced, they will produce IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 (note that they follow in order) that drive B cells to divide and
ditterentiate into plasma cells that produce antibody.
