INFLAMMATION

Question 1

What a an inflammatory response

Answer 1

An innate immune reaction that ensures immune cells and other substances are brought to the infected area so that:

• foreign orgganims may be destroyed or inactivated
• injured tissue or cell remands maybe removed
• Favourable conditions for the healing process are provided

Question 2

What are the causes of inflammation

Answer 2

Infection
Heat
Chemical substances
Mechanical injury 
Other

Question 3

Identify disorders associated with inflammation

Answer 3

Asthma
Allergies/ hypersensitivities
Obesity
Osteoarthritis
Chronic prostitis  
Autoimmune diseases
Diabetes
Inflammatory bowel disease

Question 4

How long does chronic inflammation last

Answer 4

Can last weeks, months or years

Question 5

Describe the characteristics of chronic inflammation

Answer 5

• uses the normal response to most forms of injury or infection
• wound may not heal because of foreign body or continuing infection

Question 6

Give same examples of chronic inflammation

Answer 6

• Persistent infection- e.g. mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Persistent presence of non-living material (e.g. foreign body)
• Immune mediated diseases, including hypersensitivity (e.g. arthritis)

Question 7

How long does acute inflammation tend to last

Answer 7

Short-term

Lasts a matter of days (at most weeks)

Question 8

Describe the characteristics of acute inflammation

Answer 8

• uses the normal response to most forms of injury/infection

- repair of damage or removal of infection removes the stimulus

Question 9

Give some examples of acute inflammation

Answer 9

• infection by microorganisms
• hypersensitivity
• physical (e.g. burns, uv light)
• chemical corrosives or irritants
• tissue necrosis

Question 10

List the effects/signs of inflammation

Answer 10

• redness (rubor)
• heat ( calor)
• swelling (tumor)
• pain (dolor)
• lack of function

Question 11

Describe the stages of acute inflammation

Answer 11

1. Infection or damage/injury of epithelium
2. Cytokine production, which stimulates other resident cells
3. Mast cells are activated and release histamine and other vasoactive substances to increase vascular permeability
4. This results in release of acute phase reactants and chemokines attract neutrophils and monocytes, these cells migrate out of the blood vessel
5. Neutrophils attract further cytokine release

Question 12

Describe the initiation of inflammation

Answer 12

1. Epithelial cells produce chemokine and cytokines as a result of infection/damage
2. Neutrophils respond quickly to the site of infection/damage and release further cytokines
3. Followed by blood derived macrophages

Question 13

Describe the inflammatory cascade

Answer 13

• inflammatory cell infiltrate produces more cytokine and chemokines
• more resident cells become activated and more cells extravasated (including lymphocytes)
• application of immune response leading to clearance of antigen

Question 14

What is the structure of mast cells

Answer 14

Have characteristic secretory granules

Question 15

Where are mast cells fund

Answer 15

Are resent in the interstitial (spaces between cells/tissues)

Question 16

What activates mast cells

Answer 16

Are activated by the initial inflammatory response

Question 17

What happens to mast cells when activated

Answer 17

Rapidly release their granules and inflammatory mediators into the interstitium :

• performed mediators (from the granules)
• histamine

Question 18

Describe the effects of histamine on blood vessels

Answer 18

Dilation of blood vessels. Increases permeability of vessels( makes them leaky)
Activated the endothelium (changing their properties)
Leading to:
- warmth
- redness
- local oedema
-attraction of other inflammatory cellls to the site of release

Question 19

Identify the clinical signs of histamine release

Answer 19

• irritation of nerve endings - leading to itching and/or pain
• “ flare and wheal” reaction - bump and redness. This can happen seconds after challenge of the mast cell by an allergen