23276 - General Pathology and Immunology

Course contents

Course of General Pathology and Immunology for Nursing
Prof. Stefano Salvioli
Program
• Introduction to General Pathology. Definitions and nomenclatures.
• Environmental pathologies. Chemical pollution. Radiation, electric current and heat pathologies. Pathologies from incorrect nutrition and malnutrition or under-nutrition.
• Hereditary genetic diseases. Types of transmission. Monogenic diseases; diseases from chromosomal alterations. Genetic risk factors and association with HLA. Genetic-environment interaction.
• Alterations in cell growth; hypertrophy, hypotrophy; metaplasia, anaplasia. Cell death processes: necrosis and apoptosis, pyroptosis. Cellular senescence and autophagy.
• Inflammation, definition, characteristics and symptoms. Molecular mechanisms of inflammation. Cells involved in the inflammatory process. Role in the physiological responses of the organism. Molecules that promote or tap down inflammation: prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes, cytokines and chemokines.
• Acute and chronic inflammations; ulcers and granulomas. Repair of tissue damage. Wound healing by first and second intention.
• Inflammation as a driver of aging (inflammaging) and as a cause of disease. The "cytokine release storm": the example of Covid-19.
• The body's immune defenses. Organs and tissues of the immune system. Innate immunity: physical barriers, preformed proteins, professional phagocytes, NK cells, other immunocompetent populations (NKT, gamma-delta lymphocytes).
• Specific immunity: characteristics and functions, cell antigen receptors of specific immunity (membrane antibodies and TCR), antigen recognition; generation of the repertoire of receptors, clonal distribution. MHC molecules and their role. B lymphocytes: characteristics of B lymphocytes; Secreted antibodies: structure, functions, classification. T lymphocytes: characteristics of helper (CD4 +) and cytotoxic (CD8 +) T lymphocytes. Tolerance: recognition and discrimination between self and non-self; self tolerance.
• Effector phases of the immune response. Complement; Activation of M1 and M2 macrophages; delayed-type hypersensitivity; activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes; response to intra and extra cellular bacteria; response to viruses and parasites. Vaccines, vaccination strategies, types of vaccines.
• Immunopathology: the alterations of the immune response; classification of immunopathologies; type I hypersensitivity: allergies; hypersensitivity of type II, III and IV; disruption of tolerance and autoimmunity; congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies, HIV and AIDS. Transplant immunology: classification of transplants: auto-, allo- and xenografts; biological basis of transplant rejection; the types of rejection; GVHD; strategies to avoid rejection: HLA typing, immunosuppressive drugs.
• Tumors. Benign and malignant tumors: carcinomas and sarcomas. Oncogenesis: oncogenic and tumor suppressor genes. Cell cycle modifications. Cellular immortalization. Tumor angiogenesis, neoplastic invasiveness and metastasis.
• Cancer immunology. Carcinogenesis by chemical or physical agents. Viral carcinogenesis. Genetic and environmental risk factors. Natural history of the tumor. Grading and staging of tumors.
• Outline of endocrine physiopathology. The main hormones, characteristics, production and function. The hypothalamus-pituitary-target glands axis. Primary and secondary hypofunctions and hyperfunctions.
• Metabolic diseases: Obesity and type I and II diabetes mellitus. Hypercholesterolemia and Atherosclerosis: molecular mechanisms and risk factors.

Readings/Bibliography

M. Parola, Patologia Generale ed Elementi di Fisiopatologia, 2020 (II edizione), EdiSES

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures with ppt slides. Due to the Covid-19 pandemics, it is possible to follow the classes online with the Teams platform.

Assessment methods

The examination is unique for the Integrated Course of Pathological Sciences, it is in written form and consists of multiple-choice quizzes. Due to the Covid-19 pandemics the exams will be held online with the Zoom platform until new provisions. For more details please refer to the web page of Prof. Pasquinelli and Motola.

Teaching tools

Slide packages by Prof. Luigi Barbieri and Enrico Strocchi (https://virtuale.unibo.it/course/view.php?id=16952)

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Salvioli