Introductory Concepts and Clinical Perspectives 2nd
Edition by Theresa M Capriotti
Discuss the following?
Inflammation - ANSWER:A protective, coordinated response of the body to an
injurious agent. It involves many cell types and inflammatory mediators that initiate,
modulate, amplify, and terminate this response.
a) Characteristic cellular products, tissue changes, and systemic responses are
associated with inflammation.
*Intensity of the inflammatory reaction is usually proportional to the extent of the
tissue injury.
b) major aims of inflammation are to wall off the area of injury, prevent spread of
the injurious agent, and bring the body's defenses to the region under attack.
Acute inflammation triggers - ANSWER:various injurious stimuli, such as infections,
microbial toxins, physical injury, surgery, cancer, chemical agents, tissue necrosis,
foreign bodies, and immune reactions.
Three Main Stages of acute inflammation - ANSWER:Vascular permeability
Cellular chemotaxis
Systemic responses
Vascular permeability - ANSWER:vascular phase at a site of inflammation,
inflammatory mediators such as histamine and bradykinin cause the blood vessels to
dilate and become more permeable. This permits fluids, WBCs, and platelets to
travel to the site of injury or infection. Vasodilation of the arterioles is followed by
enhanced capillary permeability, allowing fluid to flow out of the blood vessels to the
injured tissues
Purulent exudate (pus) - ANSWER:fluid is rich in protein from WBCs, microbial
organisms, and cellular debris
Abscess - ANSWER:localized, walled-off collection of purulent exudate within tissue
Transudate - ANSWER:fluid that contains little protein and is mainly a watery filtrate
of blood
Effusion - ANSWER:Any accumulation of fluid in a body cavity
*due to inflammatory or non-inflammatory processes.
, Chemotaxis - ANSWER:Cell movement that occurs in response to chemical stimulus:
a chemical signal from microbial agents, endothelial cells, and WBCs attracts
platelets and other WBCs to the site of injury
Leukocytosis - ANSWER:Increase in the number of white blood cells release by bone
marrow into blood
leukemoid reaction - ANSWER:Exaggerated WBC response to infection
ex. Leukemia
Cytokines - ANSWER:Inflammatory mediators (Chemicals) released by the immune
system (WBC) communicate with the brain.
Modulate the inflammatory reaction by amplifying or deactivating the process. Also
cause localized and systemic effects.
tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha - ANSWER:Origin: Macrophage
Effects: Fever, lack of appetite, raises metabolism to cause cachexia, hypotension
interleukins (ILs) - ANSWER:Origin: Macrophage
Effects: Fever, stimulates platelet production, fatigue, anemia, headache
Chemokines - ANSWER:proteins that attract leukocytes to the endothelium at the
area of injury.
Acute phase proteins - ANSWER:liver proteins that facilitate WBC phagocytosis of
microbes and other foreign material and assist in the analysis of the inflammation
process occurring in the body.
ex. C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrogen, serum amyloid A, and hepcidin
C-reactive protein (CRP) - ANSWER:a key acute phase protein that is integral to
marking foreign material for phagocytosis; activating the complement system, which
augments immunity; and stimulating other inflammatory cytokines.
Elevated:
-in the bloodstream indicates that active inflammation is occurring
-of a specific type of CRP, identified by a laboratory test called high sensitivity CRP, is
a marker for increased risk of myocardial infarction in patients with coronary artery
disease.
Fibrinogen - ANSWER:Binds to red blood cells (RBCs) and fixes them into stacks that
precipitate rapidly in the blood through processes called rouleaux and sedimentation
erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - ANSWER:Laboratory test that, if elevated,
indicates actively occurring inflammation. This can assist the clinician to determine if
the patient is currently enduring an active process of inflammation.