23276 - General Pathology and Immunology

Learning outcomes

The student, at the end of the course is able to understand the underlying causes and pathogenic mechanisms of human diseases, as well as the etiology of the alterations of the fundamental structures, functions and control mechanisms at various levels of integration. The student knows the principles and also the biological basis underpinning the operation and regulation of the immune response, without forgetting the pathophysiology of impaired immune response in major diseases.

Course contents

1. Cellular pathology: health and disease concepts, etiology  and pathogenesis; cellular adaptations, reversible and irreversible cell injury, necrosis and apoptosis.

2. Immunology: innate and specific immunity, cells and tissues of the immune system, antibody and antigens, major histocompatibility complex, antigen processing and presentation, humoral and cell-mediated immuno responses, complement, hypersensitivity, autoimmunity.

3. Inflammatory-reparative response: etiology and classification of acute inflammation, chemical mediators, vascular changes and exudate formation, cellular events and phagocytosis, systemic consequences and etiopathogenesis of fever; chronic and granulomatous inflammation, pathogenesis of tuberculosis; reparative response: tissue repair and wound healing; fibrosis, cirrhosis.

4. Oncology: characteristics of the  neoplastic cell, tumor classification, staging and grading, cancerogenesis, tumor progression, metastatization, epidemiology and prevention, immunity, paraneoplastic syndromes.

5. General physiopathology: hemostasis and hemorrhagic diseases; risk factors of atherosclerosis, formation of atheromatous plaque and related consequences; thrombosis; embolism; infarction; hypoxia and cyanosis; oedema.

Readings/Bibliography

G.M. PONTIERI  -  Patologia generale e fisiopatologia generale. Per i corsi di laurea in professioni sanitarie. II edizione, Piccin Editore

T.D. SPECTOR, J.S. AXFORD  -  Introduzione alla patologia generale - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana.

ROBBINS and COTRAN  -  Pathologic bases of desease. 8th  edition. Saunders Elsevier Ed. (only for in depth)

Teaching methods

The course includes 36 hours of lessons on cellular pathology, immunology, inflammatory-reparative responses, oncology and the physiopathology of blood vessels and hemostasis.

Assessment methods

The level of learning will be checked at the end of the course through a written examination. The exam will be organized in multiple-choice questions to ascertain the student's knowledge of the program topics. In particular, the student ability to integrate knowledge of immunology, pathology and general physiopathology will be evaluated.

Teaching tools

The teaching room has a PC, a projector and an Internet connection. The teaching material is available on line at http://patologia-sperimentale.unibo.it/Didattica/Materiale/frm-main.php. The slides are in two different formats: "Diapo”, for computer vision, and "Stampati", for black and white prints to be integrated with lecture notes.

Links to further information

http://corsi.unibo.it/InfermieristicaBologna/Pagine/default.aspx

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Bolognesi