Leprosy Is a Disease Caused by the Intracellular Bacterium Mycobacterium

question 9

Multiple Choice

Leprosy is a disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which infects macrophages and replicates in their phagosomes. Human patients with leprosy have a persistent infection of the mycobacteria, as their immune systems are unable to complete eradicate the pathogen. Furthermore, two different forms of the disease have been identified. Some patients have many skin lesions containing a large number of bacteria with little inflammatory response. This is the very disfiguring form of the disease, and is known as lepromatous leprosy. In other patients, few skin lesions and only occasional bacteria are observed, and the skin lesions are accompanied by a robust inflammatory response. These patients have the form of the disease known as tuberculoid leprosy. If one examined a skin biopsy from a patient with tuberculoid leprosy, one would expect to see:

• A) A large influx of neutrophils and other granulocytes
• B) A widespread occurrence of tissue necrosis
• C) A substantial number of granulomas
• D) Evidence of large numbers of dead or dying mycobacteria
• E) A large number of skin epithelial cells with intracellular bacteria

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Definitions:

Serum Levels

The concentration of substances in the clear liquid portion of the blood after coagulation.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

A hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal cortex to release corticosteroid hormones.

Cortisol

Steroid hormone released by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex; increases blood glucose and inhibits inflammation.

Positive Feedback

A process in which the end products of an action cause more of that action to occur in a feedback loop.