Killed, Inactivated Vaccines Available In The US

Innate Immunity - intro

First line of defence + first to act

A primitive response (exists in animals and some plants)

Non-specialised and without ‘memory’

Consists of:

Physical barriers (eg skin and mucosa//tight junctions, airflow)

Chemical barriers (eg enzymes, lung surfactant, antimicrobals)

Soluble mediators of inflammation (eg cytokines)

Microbal defence (eg commensal competition, secreted antimicrobals)

Cells (eg phagocytes)

Receptors to recognise presence of pathogen/injury - results in inflammation

Soluble Mediators

Complement Proteins

liver-derived 

circulate in serum in inactive form

activated by pathogens during innate response

functions include lysis, chemotaxis and opsonisation

Auxiliary Cells

Mediate inflammation as part of the immune response. The main auxiliary cells involved in the immune response are Basophils, Mast cells and Platelets.

Basophils 

Leukocyte containing granules 

on degranulation release histamine + platelet activating factor

causing increased vascular permeability and smooth muscle contraction

also synthesise and secrete other mediators that control the development of immune system reactions

Mast Cells

Also contain granules 

However they are not circulating cells - found close to blood vessels in all types of tissue especially mucosal and epithelial tissues.

rapidly release inflammatory histamine but this is IgE dependant so not innate

Platelets 

normally function in blood clotting

also release inflammatory mediators

Cytokines and chemokines

Produced by many cells but especially mØ (macrophages), initiate inflammatory response and act on blood vessels 

interferons - antiviral protection

chemokines - recruit cells

interleukines - fever inducing, IL-6 induces acute phase proteins 

IL-1 - encourages leukocytes to migrate to infected/damaged tissue

as does tumour necrosis factor (TNFa)

Acute phase proteins

Liver derived proteins 

plasma concentrations increase (positive acute-phase proteins) or decrease (negative acute-phase proteins) in response to inflammation

called the acute-phase reaction 

triggered by inflammatory cytokines ( IL-1, IL-6, TNFα)

help mediate inflammation ( fever, leukocytosis, increased cortisol, decreased thyroxine, decreased serum iron, etc)

activate complement opsonisation 

Inflammation 

Cells

Cytotoxic Cells

Eosinophils/natural killer cells, cytotoxic T cells

kill target via release of toxic granules 

dendritic cell derived IL-12 helps activate NK cells

Phagocytes

mono-nuclear = long-lived; polynuclear = short-lived

engulf, internalize and destroy 

phagosome forms around microbe

enzyme filled with lysosomes fuses to form phagolysosome

organism is digested

fragments are either ‘presented’ or exocytosed

phagocytosis requires recognition of microbe via receptors for

PAMPs (pathogen associated molecular patterns - eg flagella or capsule) - recognised by toll-like receptors 

activated complement

antibody

The innate immune response primes for the adaptive 

B-cells are primed by activated complement

Th1 cell differentiation needs pro-inflammatory cytokines

Tick vectors

Ixodes:

Lyme disease: Borrelia burgdorferi 

Babesiosis: Babesia microti

Granulocytic Erlichiosis: Erlichia phagocytophila

Dermacentor: 

Tularemia: Francisella tularensis

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Ricketsia rickettsii

Colorado Tick Fever: CTFVirus (Reovirus)

Amblyomma (lone star tick)

Monocytic Erlichiosis: Erlichia chaffeensis

April Background

I created this new background for April! A reminder to all the great girls out there who are awesome human beings!

For a high quality foto, check out the link in my previous post!

This bedroom is soooo pretty, this colour palette is everything.

Dose Dependent effects of Dopamine mnemonic

Simplified version of Dopamine’s dose-dependent MAJOR effects:

low doses - activates D1 receptors (Gs) - vasodilates renal blood vessels*

med.doses - activates B1 receptors (Gs) - increases heart rate/contractility etc..

high doses - activates A1 (Gq) - vasoconstricts,

*increased renal perfusion, GFR, also vasodilates mesenteric and coronary vessels 

source: http://reference.medscape.com/drug/intropin-dopamine-342435

Positives are violet in color and negatives are red or pink on gram stain! My untidy handwritten notes here.

Hope it helps @shreeparn  :)

Infectious bacterial diseases and where to find them

This one’s about bugs

Guys, I love ID. I really hope I get to do an ID rotation on Medicine. If you remember, I once posted the mnemonic I swear by for viruses. Well here is the bacteria counterpart. Also your micro mantra should be: sketchy is life. Love Andrew like I do (this part’s not the mantra, I just love Andrew).

Let me know if you have any questions or need clarification. This is a perfect example of a “not aesthetically pleasing tumblr study post” because sometimes your handwriting sucks and you aint got that kinda time in my life for pretty arrows and banners and I just wanna finish this shit so I can leave the library when will Step 1 even be over why is this my liiiiiife