Infectious Diseases (known as Infectology)

The Human Immune System maintains the human body

In harmony with all the environmental elements .It is the first
defense line to protect the body against an aggressive environment
that continuously attacks it for survival .
Among these aggressive elements ,infectious agents are of major
importance sometimes, their incidence on body functioning
determines the body’s existence .

If the “battle” results in a balanced outcome, a healthy condition

can be maintained ;otherwise, where microbial agents overcome
the immunologic barrier ,a condition known as infection presents .
Infections are within the scope of Infectology, a science that studies
The pathologies induced by infections agents, and the treatments for them .

During the last years ,great progress has been made through the
development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools .However ,a great number of the
mysteries that render Infectology an exciting field of study still remain unexplained.

The respiratory tract as a route of infection

The respiratory tract is one of the most common routes of entry of infectious agents
In the body . With a ventilation of 6 litres per minute ,a total of nearly 10,000
Microorganisms per day ,is estimated to enter the lung .Immunodepressed conditions
May lead to life risk due to unimportant infections .
Viruses are a common cause of airway damage and can also effect the pulmonary
Parenchyma .Damage may involve upper airway or lower airway ,where lungs are
involved, the illness is known as pneumonitis in order to distinguish it from lobar
Pneumonia ,which is caused by bacteria .

Respiratory viral infections.

Common cold-rhinitis, or called acute rhinitis;
Nasal mucosa gets inflamed and mucus discharge increases significantly .
Common cold is caused by viruses, the most common of which are rhinovirus,influenza
virus ,myxovirus, paramyxovirus and adenovirus .
 Pathogenesis of rhinovirus infection ;
When a person is affected by viral rhinitis ,the virus replicates in the lining epithelium
and after this , degenerate epithelial cells are exfoliated .The mucosa is edematous and
congestive and infiltrated by neutrophils and lymphocytes .Once the process is stopped ,
epithelial cells regenerate .
About 70% of conditions presenting throat inflammation are caused by viruses
.Rhinovirus as well as other upper respiratory tract viruses get in touch with defensive
barriers formed by the oropharyngeal lymphoid tissue ,and this is the reason why the
mucosa looks inflamed and eritematous .
Among the bacterial agents that can cause pharyngitis ,Group A S. pyogens is the most
common and clinically important one since it can result in complications. Streptococcal
and viral pharyngitis being very difficult to distinguish one from the other ,laboratory
tests are of material importance for differential diagnosis .
Streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis is clinically important because it causes frequent
complications .Bacteria such as streptococcus pyogenes have certain structures known to
determine pathogenicity which enable them to cause infections .This bacterial and
secretion factors that enable colony formation in the host .
Acute rheumatic fever .
Rheumatic fever refers to an acute systemic inflammatory process that frequently follows
a pharyngeal condition caused by Group A streptococci infection.
Repeated attacks of this type of cocci can damage the valves .
Pathogenic mechanisms of rheumatic fever include expansion of T-lymphocytes that can
show a reaction to autoantigens .Thus ,cardiac valves seem to be damaged in this way .
Acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis
Acute glomerulonephritis refers to an immunocomplex-mediated illness that
is……..continue next time .
Dr.mohammad Suleiman .

;
A
dr.Mohammad- Suleiman
Medics Index Member
www.medicsindex.com
http://medicsorg.tripod.com/drmohammadsuleiman.htm