Lecture 2

Aim is to familiarize student with

 The relationship between the immune system and infection

 Normal flora
 Stage of bacterial pathogenesis
 Types of bacterial infection
 Classification of bacteria

Immune system and normal flora

 Immune system consist of innate immunity and acquired immunity
 The innate immune system which consists of the normal flora, physical barriers such as the skin, antibacterial proteins
and phagocytic cells, is an important defense mechanism against infection.
 The acquired immunity consist of T cells and B cells

Normal flora
 Bacterial cells forming parts of the normal flora outnumber human cells in the body. The normal flora provides
protection by competing with pathogens for colonization sites and producing antibiotic substances (bacteriocins) that
suppress other bacteria
 Anaerobic bacteria produce toxic metabolic products and free fatty acids that inhibit other organisms. In the female
genital tract lactobacilli produce lactic acid that lowers the pH, so preventing colonization by pathogens

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 Pathogenicity and pathogenesis of infectious disease
 Definitions
 Pathogen, An organism capable of causing disease
 Commensal. An organism that is part of the normal flora
 Pathogenicity, The ability to cause disease
 Virulence, The ability to cause severe disease
 Infection, has two meaning and it is being used interchangeably with disease, the first meaning is that an organism has
infected the person by entering the body's person without developing symptoms of disease. Because of the low
pathogenicity of the organism. Another meaning is an infectious disease which describes the infection with symptoms.
 The pathogenicity and pathogenesis depend on virulence factors of bacteria and the state of carrier that make them
more virulent or less virulent

Pathogenesis of bacterial infection

 The pathogenesis of bacterial infection includes initiation of the infectious process and the mechanisms that lead to the
development of signs and symptoms of disease
 The biochemical structural, and genetic factors that play important roles in bacterial pathogenesis.
 Characteristics of bacteria that are pathogens include transmissibility, adherence to host cells, persistence invasion of
host cells and tissues, texigenicity, and the ability to evade or survive the host's immune system. Resistance to
antimicrobials and disinfectants can also contribute to virulence, or an organism's capacity to cause disease.

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 Bacterial virulence factors
 Many factors determine bacterial virulence or the ability to cause infection and disease
 Adherence Factors such as pili, fimbriae that extend from the bacterial cell surface and help mediate adherence of the
bacterial to host cell surfaces. Lipotechoic acid, protein F, and M protein are found on the fimbrae. The lipoteichoic
acid and protein F cause adherence of the streptococci to buccal epithelial cells; this adherence is mediated by
fibronectin, which acts as the host cell receptor molecule. M proteine protein acts as an antiphagocytic molecule and
is a major virulence factor.
 Invasion factors of Host Cells and tissues, such as toxins (endotoxin and exotoxin enzymes, and structural factors
contribute to Invasion, immune evasion and cell lysis.

Types of pathogens
 Obligate are always associated with disease (e.g. Treponema pallidum and HIV).
 Conditional pathogens may cause disease if certain conditions are met. For example, Bacteroides fragilis is a normal
commensal of the gut but if it invades the peritoneal cavity. It will cause severe infection.
 Opportunistic pathogens usually cause infection when the host defenses are compromised. For example, Pneumocystis
jiroveci usually causes lung infection only in a host who has several compromised T-cell immunity.

Overview of medically important bacteria

 Classified base on cell wall
 Morphology and staining of bacteria are the commonly used characteristics to classify bacteria
 Almost all contain rigid cell wall
 The best weather contain flexible cell wall or contain less cell wall list
 the attachment diagram clarify the principle of medically important bacteria (pay attention of it)