A patient is being treated for bacterial pneumonia. In the first stages of illness, the patients dyspnea was accompanied by a high fever. Currently, the patient claims to be feeling better and is afebrile. The patient is most likely in which stage of the immune response?
- A. Recognition stage
- B. Proliferation stage
- C. Response stage
- D. Effector stage
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The immune response culminates with the effector stage, during which offending microorganisms are killed by the various actions of the immune system. The patients improvement in health status is likely the result of this final stage in the immune response.
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A patient is responding to a microbial invasion and the patients differentiated lymphocytes have begun to function in either a humoral or a cellular capacity. During what stage of the immune response does this occur?
- A. The recognition stage
- B. The effector stage
- C. The response stage
- D. The proliferation stage
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In the response stage, the differentiated lymphocytes function in either a humoral or a cellular capacity. In the effector stage, either the antibody of the humoral response or the cytotoxic (killer) T cell of the cellular response reaches and connects with the antigen on the surface of the foreign invader. In the recognition stage, the recognition of antigens as foreign, or non-self, by the immune system is the initiating event in any immune response. During the proliferation stage the circulating lymphocytes containing the antigenic message return to the nearest lymph node.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has had a severe antigen/antibody reaction. The nurse knows that the portion of the antigen that is involved in binding with the antibody is called what?
- A. Antibody lock
- B. Antigenic sequence
- C. Antigenic determinant
- D. Antibody channel
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The portion of the antigen involved in binding with the antibody is referred to as the antigenic determinant. This portion is not known as an antibody lock, antigenic sequence, or antibody channel.
A patient was recently exposed to infectious microorganisms and many T lymphocytes are now differentiating into killer T cells. This process characterizes what stage of the immune response?
- A. Effector
- B. Proliferation
- C. Response
- D. Recognition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In the proliferation stage, T lymphocytes differentiate into cytotoxic (or killer) T cells, whereas B lymphocytes produce and release antibodies. This does not occur in the response, recognition, or effector stages.
Diagnostic testing has revealed a deficiency in the function of a patients complement system. This patient is likely to have an impaired ability to do which of the following?
- A. Protecting the body against viral infection
- B. Marking the parameters of the immune response
- C. Bridging natural and acquired immunity
- D. Collecting immune complexes during inflammation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Complement has three major physiologic functions: defending the body against bacterial infection, bridging natural and acquired immunity, and disposing of immune complexes and the byproducts associated with inflammation. Complement does not mark the parameters of the immune response; complement does not collect immune complexes during inflammation.
A man was scratched by an old tool and developed a virulent staphylococcus infection. In the course of the mans immune response, circulating lymphocytes containing the antigenic message returned to the nearest lymph node. During what stage of the immune response did this occur?
- A. Recognition stage
- B. Proliferation stage
- C. Response stage
- D. Effector stage
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The recognition stage of antigens as foreign by the immune system is the initiating event in any immune response. The body must first recognize invaders as foreign before it can react to them. In the proliferation stage, the circulating lymphocyte containing the antigenic message returns to the nearest lymph node. Once in the node, the sensitized lymphocyte stimulates some of the resident dormant T and B lymphocytes to enlarge, divide, and proliferate. In the response stage, the differentiated lymphocytes function either in a humoral or a cellular capacity. In the effector stage, either the antibody of the humoral response or the cytotoxic (killer) T cell of the cellular response reaches and connects with the antigen on the surface of the foreign invader.
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