BSC2347 Human Anatomy and Physiology II

Module 04 Case Study

Question 1

Zane, a 26-year-old male, came upon a car accident and immediately started to help the victims,
who were pinned in their car. There was blood all over the scene and Zane acted without having
any personal protective equipment. While helping the victims, he cut his arms in several places
on the sharp metal and shards of glass. A few weeks later, he developed flu-like symptoms that
persisted for several days. He went to his clinic and tested negative for influenza.

Because of his recent exposure, Zane’s doctor was suspicious of blood borne pathogens. Which
of the following disorders are blood-borne diseases?

Answers:

HIV infection

Hepatitis A

Cirrhosis

Leukemia

Question 2

Lab tests confirm the presence of HIV antibodies in Zane’s blood. Briefly describe why there are
antibodies present. Antibodies are proteins that the body forms in response to fighting infections.
The antibodies are thus present to fight off the HIV virus. If Zane was not infected, the body
could not have produced antibodies.

Question 3

Briefly define “autoimmunity” and “immunodeficiency” in your own words. Which of these

conditions is Zane more likely to develop? Autoimmunity refers to a system of immune
responses formed by the body against its own healthy tissues and cells. This occurs when the
body is unable to distinguish between the foreign antigens and the self-antigens, leading to self-
destroying of the body’s own cells. On the other hand, immunodeficiency refers to the failure of
the body’ immune system to effectively respond to an infection. Zane is thus more likely to
develop immunodeficiency.

Question 4

During the primary HIV infection, which of the following cells decreases in number?
Answers:

T-cells

B-cells

Natural killer cells

Phagocytes

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true?

Answers:

HIV typically causes AIDs within the first year of exposure.

AIDs is caused by depletion of B-cells.

The cause of death for a patient with AIDS is usually an opportunistic infection.

HIV is treated with antibiotics.

Question 6

HIV is a retrovirus. Briefly describe how a retrovirus is different from other viruses. A retrovirus
replicates in a different way compared to other viruses. This is done by inserting its genome into
the genome of the host, which is different from the way other viruses act. The retrovirus ends up
becoming part of the host’s cells, violating the central dogma.

Question 7

Zane is worried about passing the virus to his friends and family. Which of the following bodily
fluids can transmit HIV? (Select all that apply.)

Answers:

Blood

Tears

Feces

Sputum
Sweat

Semen

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of acute HIV infection?

Answers:

Fever

Large, tender lymph nodes

Throat inflammation

Numbness

Question 9

The initial symptoms of HIV infection are followed by clinical latency. Which of the following
statements is true?

Answers:

Clinical latency is a symptomatic period of infection.

The clinical latency period usually lasts less than a year.

Clinical latency is the second stage of HIV infection and can last anywhere from 3 to 20 years.

Patients usually become overweight or obese during clinical latency.

Question 10

Zane is told that he may develop AIDS in his lifetime. Which signs and symptoms would
indicate that he has AIDS?

Answers:

Encephalitis, tumors, tuberculosis, retinitis, T-cell count below 200 cells/uL

Migraines, respiratory disorders, T-cell count over 200 cells/uL

Esophagitis, tumors, diarrhea, B-cell count under 200 cells/uL

Liver spots, abnormal moles, chronic headaches, B-cell count over 200 cells/uL

Question 11

Justine, a 39-year-old female, has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma. She has a family
history of several cancers, but not lymphoma. Her personal medical history includes
mononucleosis, asthma, and two full-term pregnancies and vaginal births. Before her diagnosis,
she had been feeling “generally sick” and felt several lumps on her neck and armpits. She had a
fever that wouldn’t go away and had been waking up sweaty in the middle of the
night. Microscopy showed the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells.

Based on the information given, which of the type of lymphoma does Justine have?

Answers:

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma

Lymphocytic lymphoma

Burkitt’s lymphoma

Question 12

Reed Sternberg cells are derived from which type of normal cell?

Answers:

T-cells

B-lymphocytes

Macrophages

Natural killer cells

Question 13

Which of Justine’s symptoms signify the presence of lymphadenopathy? Lymphadenopathy is a

common infection that affects the lymph nodes. Symptoms like asthma, mononucleosis, fever,
and night sweat all indicate that Zane might be suffering from lymphadenopathy.

Question 14
Aside from the symptoms noted in Justine’s case, list and briefly describe 3 other symptoms of
lymphoma.

 Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, the armpit, or in the groin that are usually painless

 Fatigue may also crop in with time

 Weight loss is a likely symptom of lymphoma.

Question 15

Lymphoma is definitively diagnosed by which of the following procedures?

Answers:

Physical exam

Lymph node biopsy

X-ray

White blood cell count

Question 16

Which of the following is true of Justine’s treatment?

Answers:

Because her lymphoma is localized, he will likely be treated with radiotherapy alone.

Palliative care is Justine’s only option.

Alternative and complementary medicine has been shown to be highly effective for patients with
Justine’s type of lymphoma.

Stem cell transplantation is the most common first-line therapy for patients with Justine’s type of
lymphoma.

Question 17

Which of the following is true of Justine’s diagnosis?

Answers:

It is caused by a genetic mutation of a lymphocyte.

It is easily treatable and she has a great prognosis.

It causes her lymphocytes to shrink.

It causes her body to launch an autoimmune attack against its own lymphocytes.

Question 18

Which part of Justine’s case study is considered a risk factor for her diagnosis?

Answers:

Her age

Her gender/sex

Past Epstein-Barr infection

History of asthma

Question 19

Chemotherapy is a very general term for using medications to treat cancers. Briefly describe how
chemotherapy would help Justine. Chemotherapy involves using drugs that help to kill the cancer
cells in the body. The drug may be injected directly in the bloodstream through a vein or taken as
pills. The drug can then circulate throughout the body killing cancerous cells. It can be used as
the primary method of treatment for people affected by Hodgkin lymphoma. This can greatly
help Justine. However, he could also resort to using radiotherapy for more effective results.

Question 20 How would a bone marrow transplant help treat Justine’s condition? A bone marrow
transplant can be used to replace immature stem cells (bone-forming cells) before they grow into
unhealthy lymphocytes alongside the healthy cells. Justine’s own blood-forming cells can be
used for a blood transplant during autologous transplant by collecting them and storing them. On
the other hand, Justine could benefit from allogeneic transplant where blood-forming cells from a
healthy family member, a healthy donor, or a umbilicord cord blood. Through autologous
transplant, Justine could be subjected to high doses of chemotherapy to destroy the lymphoma in
the body. Healthy bone-forming cells in the bone marrow could also be destroyed in the process.
This might need to be supplemented by allogeneic transplant if autologous transplant seems less
effective.