NRSG 530 Lecture 1: Immunity, HIV/AIDS, SLE, RA, Shingles & Allergic Disorders

Vocabulary flashcards covering core topics from Pathophysiology Lecture 1, including Innate and Adaptive Immunity, HIV/AIDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Shingles, and Allergic/Hypersensitivity Disorders.

Leukocytes

Immune cells that circulate in blood and tissues to protect against infection, remove damaged cells, and coordinate inflammation.

Lymphocytes

A type of white blood cell (WBC) essential for adaptive immunity (third line of defense) that recognizes, attacks, and remembers specific foreign threats; includes B cells, T cells, and Natural Killer cells.

Innate Immunity

Non-specific natural immune protection that is always ready to respond, consisting of physical barriers (first line: skin and mucous membranes) and biochemical/cellular barriers (second line: vascular response, inflammation, plasma proteins).

Adaptive Immunity

The specific third line of defense involving B cells and T cells that recognizes specific antigens, creates long-term memory cells, and normally leaves host tissues unharmed.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

A bloodborne retrovirus that infects and progressively destroys CD4+ helper T cells, leading to severe immunodeficiency if untreated.

CD4+ T Cells

Helper T cells that coordinate the overall immune response by signaling other immune cells, activating B cells to produce antibodies, and activating cytotoxic T cells.

Viral Load

A measure of the amount of HIV in the blood that reflects active viral replication and risk of disease progression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

The third and most severe stage of HIV infection characterized by a CD4+ T cell count $<200\,\text{cells/mm}^3$ or the presence of an AIDS-defining illness.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

A chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by symmetric joint swelling and inflammation of the synovium, leading to joint destruction and deformities.

Pannus

Thickened inflammatory synovial tissue in RA that grows over joint cartilage and bone, eventually forming scar tissue and causing joint stiffness and loss of mobility.

Rheumatoid Factor (RF)

An autoantibody produced by B cells in $70\%$ to $80\%$ of patients with rheumatoid arthritis that targets the body's own proteins.

Swan-neck Deformity

A chronic RA hand deformity characterized by flexion of the distal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints with hyperextension of the proximal interphalangeal joint.

Boutonnière Deformity

A chronic RA hand deformity caused by avulsion of the extensor hood of the proximal interphalangeal joint.

Ulnar Deformity (Ulnar Drift)

A joint deformity seen in chronic RA involving ulnar deviation of the fingers at the metacarpophalangeal joint.

Hallux Valgus

A foot deformity seen in chronic RA characterized by displaced toes and lateral angulation.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

A chronic, multifactorial autoimmune connective tissue disease involving hyper-reactive B cells that produce autoantibodies and form tissue-depositing immune complexes affecting skin, joints, kidneys, CNS, and blood.

Malar Rash

A classic integumentary symptom of SLE involving a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and bridge of the nose.

Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

A localized, unilateral skin eruption of grouped vesicles along a sensory dermatome, caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in nerve tissue.

Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

Persistent neuropathic pain that remains after herpes zoster cutaneous lesions have healed.

Type I (IgE-Mediated) Hypersensitivity Reaction

An immediate allergic response that occurs when an allergen binds to IgE antibodies attached to mast cells, triggering the release of chemical mediators such as histamine.

Anaphylaxis

A severe, life-threatening systemic Type I hypersensitivity reaction causing rapid bronchoconstriction, airway swelling (angioedema), vasodilation, and severe hypotension.

Atopy

An inherited genetic predisposition to produce IgE antibodies in response to environmental allergens, manifesting in conditions such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, or hives.