132 EXAM ANSWERS (divided by bacteria/category)
Diphtheria:
A) Briefly explain whether septic shock is typical for diphtheria:
No, diphtheria does not enter the blood.
B) Briefly explain why some vaccinated people are protected from the disease but still
colonized with the pathogen
Vaccine is for IgG Ab in blood not throat colonization mucosal tissues (sIgA)
C) Briefly explain how you could develop a vaccine that eliminated diphtheria colonization
Oral vaccine that elicits sIgA response in mucosal tissues
D) Briefly explain why four states reported 96% vaccination rates
No more exemptions
E) Briefly explain why Tdap is recommended for anyone pregnant regardless of prior
vaccination
IgG can cross the placenta
F) Briefly explain why children that do elicit neutralizing antibodies to the Hib vaccine also
fail to elicit antibodies to another vaccine
No immune response to Hib no response to DTaP.
G) Explain why 4% of US citizens vaccinated with DTaP do not make DT antibodies but do
not get diphtheria
Herd immunity
H) Explain whether opsonization is a principal function of the antibody elicited by
diphtheria vaccination
No, diphtheria does not enter the blood.
I) Explain why patients can get diphtheria more than once if not fully immunized
Not enough Ag to elicit antibodies
J) Cutaneous diphtheria is a disease characterized by non-healing ulcers that are often co-
infected with S. aureus and S. pyogenes. Name two other diseases to which these
patients are at risk.
Staph. TSS and Strep. TSS
K) Explain whether antibiotics would be effective in clearing all the 3 infections in the
previous question
Yes, all are gram (+) bacteria
, Resimmune is a drug in clinical trials for T cell lymphoma patients. It is comprised of DT and an
antibody.
L) What kind of drug is Resimmune?
Immunotoxin
M) What is the antibody directed against?
T cell receptor antigens
N) Briefly explain why the drug works better on patients that have not had a Tdap booster
Less Ab to destroy DT A-T cell immunotoxin
O) Briefly explain whether patients with diphtheria need to be isolated
Yes, diphtheria is highly contagious.
P) Briefly explain whether diphtheria can be contracted from pets
No, diphtheria is human to human.
Q) Explain whether an asymptomatic diphtheria carrier state can exist even among immune
individuals
Yes, vaccination does not exclude throat colonization.
R) Briefly explain what therapy is given after a patient is stabilized by DAT and abx
administration.
DTaP vaccination
S) Design a therapy for a patient that over-expresses the IL-2 receptor on the cancer cell
surface
Covalently link IL-2 receptor to DT A subunit
Vaccines/Immunity:
A) Briefly explain why 2% of vaccinated children did not elicit protective antibodies for H.
Influenza infection
Non-responders
B) Briefly explain why although ~5 million children were not vaccinated, only 20 cases of
illness occurred in 2012.
Herd immunity
C) Briefly explain whether or not immunization of the mother can protect the fetus from H.
Influenza infection
Diphtheria:
A) Briefly explain whether septic shock is typical for diphtheria:
No, diphtheria does not enter the blood.
B) Briefly explain why some vaccinated people are protected from the disease but still
colonized with the pathogen
Vaccine is for IgG Ab in blood not throat colonization mucosal tissues (sIgA)
C) Briefly explain how you could develop a vaccine that eliminated diphtheria colonization
Oral vaccine that elicits sIgA response in mucosal tissues
D) Briefly explain why four states reported 96% vaccination rates
No more exemptions
E) Briefly explain why Tdap is recommended for anyone pregnant regardless of prior
vaccination
IgG can cross the placenta
F) Briefly explain why children that do elicit neutralizing antibodies to the Hib vaccine also
fail to elicit antibodies to another vaccine
No immune response to Hib no response to DTaP.
G) Explain why 4% of US citizens vaccinated with DTaP do not make DT antibodies but do
not get diphtheria
Herd immunity
H) Explain whether opsonization is a principal function of the antibody elicited by
diphtheria vaccination
No, diphtheria does not enter the blood.
I) Explain why patients can get diphtheria more than once if not fully immunized
Not enough Ag to elicit antibodies
J) Cutaneous diphtheria is a disease characterized by non-healing ulcers that are often co-
infected with S. aureus and S. pyogenes. Name two other diseases to which these
patients are at risk.
Staph. TSS and Strep. TSS
K) Explain whether antibiotics would be effective in clearing all the 3 infections in the
previous question
Yes, all are gram (+) bacteria
, Resimmune is a drug in clinical trials for T cell lymphoma patients. It is comprised of DT and an
antibody.
L) What kind of drug is Resimmune?
Immunotoxin
M) What is the antibody directed against?
T cell receptor antigens
N) Briefly explain why the drug works better on patients that have not had a Tdap booster
Less Ab to destroy DT A-T cell immunotoxin
O) Briefly explain whether patients with diphtheria need to be isolated
Yes, diphtheria is highly contagious.
P) Briefly explain whether diphtheria can be contracted from pets
No, diphtheria is human to human.
Q) Explain whether an asymptomatic diphtheria carrier state can exist even among immune
individuals
Yes, vaccination does not exclude throat colonization.
R) Briefly explain what therapy is given after a patient is stabilized by DAT and abx
administration.
DTaP vaccination
S) Design a therapy for a patient that over-expresses the IL-2 receptor on the cancer cell
surface
Covalently link IL-2 receptor to DT A subunit
Vaccines/Immunity:
A) Briefly explain why 2% of vaccinated children did not elicit protective antibodies for H.
Influenza infection
Non-responders
B) Briefly explain why although ~5 million children were not vaccinated, only 20 cases of
illness occurred in 2012.
Herd immunity
C) Briefly explain whether or not immunization of the mother can protect the fetus from H.
Influenza infection
