78931 - General Pathology and Immunology

Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Rimini
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Health Assistance (cod. 8879)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student understand the leading causes, the pathogenetic mechanisms and the major molecular and structural alteration defining human diseases.
In addition, the student understand biological basis of immunological response and its alterations in autoimmune diseases.

Course contents

Taught lectures are held during the second semester, between April and May.

The program of the course will cover the following topics:

Elements of General Pathology:

  1. Omeostasis and extracellular solute distribution
  2. DNA damage
  3. Physical agents
  4. Chemical agents
  5. Biological agents (Bacteria, Virus, Prions)

Elements of Genetics

  1. DNA and RNA
  2. Expression of genetic information - Central Dogma of Biology
  3. Traits heritability
  4. DNA mutations

Alcohol toxicity

  1. Ethanol methabolism in the liver
  2. Ethanol hepatic toxicity
  3. Steatosis
  4. Ethanol brain toxicity

Metabolic disorders: Obesity and Diabetes

  1. Obesity epidemiology
  2. Obesity complications
  3. Obese adipose tissue alterations
  4. Diabetes definition
  5. Diabetes pathogenesis 
  6. Diabetes epidemiology
  7. Diabetes Mellitus genetic predisposing factors
  8. Genetic association studies
  9. Meta-inflammation theory

Elements of Immunology:

  1. Innate and adaptative immune response
  2. Cellular effectors of immune system
  3. Immune system organs
  4. Innate immune response
  5. Adaptative immune response

Vaccination

  1. Vaccination definition
  2. History of vaccination
  3. Vaccine categories
  4. Vaccine composition

Readings/Bibliography

Students will be given PowerPoint presentations used during lectures.

To access the material go to http://campus.unibo.it/ and access using your own Unibo credentials.

Teaching methods

Taught lectures with powerpoint presentations

Assessment methods

Final oral examination aims to assess the knowledge of pathogenesis of human diseases including alcool consumption disorders and methabolic diseases (obesity and diabetes). In addition, the student will be evaluate on the understanding of the fundamental concept of immunology and immune response with particular attention to the rationale of vaccination.

Maximum score is 30. The exam is considered as passed with a score higher than 18.

The score assigned will be integrated with that of other courses belonging to the same module of General Pathology, Farmacology and health emergency.

Teaching tools

Video (multimedial) and overhead projectors. For slides, see AMS Campus.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Garagnani