Deck 45: The Spirochetes

Question 1

A nontreponemal flocculation serologic test in which soluble antigen particles are coalesced to form larger particles that are visible as clumps when they are aggregated by antibody is called the __________ test.

A) nontreponemal flocculation (NTF)
B) FTA-ABS
C) VDRL
D) TP-PA

Answer 1

C
The two most widely used nontreponemal serologic assays are the VDRL and RPR tests.Each of these tests is a flocculation (or agglutination)test, in which soluble antigen particles are coalesced to form larger particles that are visible as clumps when they are aggregated by antibody.

Question 2

MATCHING
Match the component with the assay with which it is associated.a.TP-PA
b.MHA-TP
c.PaGIA
d.Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
e.Magnetic beads
Recombinant antigens

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A stage of venereal syphilis characterized by the appearance of a chancre is known as __________ syphilis.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) late
D) tertiary

Answer 3

A
Treponema pallidum causes venereal (i.e., transmitted through sexual contact)syphilis.The clinical presentation of venereal syphilis is varied and complex, often mimicking many other diseases.This disease is divided into stages: incubating, primary, secondary, early latent, latent, and tertiary.Primary syphilis is characterized by the appearance of a chancre (a painless ulcer)usually at the site of inoculation, most commonly the genitalia.Within 3 to 6 weeks, the chancre heals.Dissemination of the organism occurs during this primary stage.

Question 4

A specific treponemal serologic test performed by overlaying whole treponemes that are fixed to a slide with serum from patients suspected of having syphilis and using fluorescein-conjugated antihuman antibody reagent to detect specific antitreponemal antibodies is called the _________ test.

A) RPR
B) FTA-ABS
C) VDRL
D) TP-PA

Question 5

The most severe illness associated with leptospirae, with symptoms of liver, kidney, and/or vascular dysfunction with lethal pulmonary hemorrhage and sometimes death, is called:

A) icteric leptospirosis.
B) anicteric leptospirosis.
C) Vincent's disease.
D) syphilis.

Question 6

Systemic symptoms, such as fever, weight loss, malaise, and a loss of appetite, along with a widespread rash, can be observed in patients suffering from _________ syphilis.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) latent

Question 7

Treponemal antibodies are those that are:

A) produced against antigens of the organisms themselves.
B) produced by infected patients against components of mammalian cells.
C) produced by the organism that causes the systemic destruction of the disease.
D) also called reaginic antibodies.

Question 8

A self-limiting illness and the most common clinical syndrome associated with leptospirae that includes fever, headache, myalgia, and aseptic meningitis in the immune stage is called:

A) icteric leptospirosis.
B) anicteric leptospirosis.
C) Weil's disease.
D) syphilis.

Question 9

Nontreponemal antibodies are those that are:

A) produced against antigens of the organisms themselves.
B) produced by infected patients against components of mammalian cells.
C) produced by the organism that causes the systemic destruction of the disease.
D) also called heterophile antibodies.

Question 10

Long, slender, helically curved, gram-negative bacilli with hooked ends are identified as belonging to which species?

A) Treponema
B) Leptospira
C) Borrelia
D) Coxiella

Question 11

The most common vector-borne disease in North America and Europe transmitted by the bite of Ixodes ticks is caused by:

A) Leptospira interrogans.
B) Borrelia burgdorferi.
C) Treponema carateum.
D) Rickettsia rickettsii.

Question 12

A stage of venereal syphilis, characterized by tissue destruction, central nervous system disease, cardiovascular abnormalities, eye disease, and granuloma-like lesions, is known as ________ syphilis.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) quaternary

Question 13

An automated system uses bead-capture technology in the detection of which of the following spirochetes?

A) Treponema
B) Borrelia
C) Leptospira
D) Brachyspira

Question 14

The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is associated with the clearance of organism from the bloodstream and the release of cytokines within hours of antibiotic treatment.With which spirochete is this condition associated?

A) Treponema
B) Borrelia
C) Leptospira
D) Brachyspira

Question 15

A destructive lesion of the gums, also known as acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, that is caused by oral spirochetes and other bacteria is known as:

A) Vincent's disease.
B) primary syphilis.
C) chancres.
D) Weil syndrome.

Question 16

A test that uses gelatin particles sensitized with T.pallidum subsp.pallidum antigens to detect specific antitreponemal antibodies in patient serum is called the __________ test.

A) RPR
B) FTA-ABS
C) VDRL
D) TP-PA

Question 17

A widely used nontreponemal serologic assay is the ________ test.

A) rapid plasma reagin (RPR)
B) Treponema pallidum passive particle agglutination (TP-PA)
C) fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS)
D) microhemagglutination test for antibody to Treponema pallidum (MHA-TP)

Question 18

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)recommendations for testing in suspected cases of Lyme disease are to screen with ______ and confirm with ________.

A) RPR; FTA-ABS
B) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); immunofluorescent antibody (IFA)
C) IFA; immunoblotting
D) ELISA; TP-PA

Question 19

Long, slender, helically curved, gram-negative bacilli with tight coils are identified as belonging to which species?

A) Treponema
B) Leptospira
C) Borrelia
D) Coxiella

Question 20

A patient has a reactive RPR result and a positive FTA-ABS test.The drug of choice to treat this infection is:

A) penicillin G.
B) tetracycline.
C) clindamycin.
D) erythromycin.

Question 21

MATCHING
Match the component with the assay with which it is associated.a.TP-PA
b.MHA-TP
c.PaGIA
d.Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
e.Magnetic beads
Gel immunoassay

Question 22

MATCHING
Match the component with the assay with which it is associated.a.TP-PA
b.MHA-TP
c.PaGIA
d.Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
e.Magnetic beads
Erythrocytes

Question 23

MATCHING
Match the component with the assay with which it is associated.a.TP-PA
b.MHA-TP
c.PaGIA
d.Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
e.Magnetic beads
Isoluminol-antigen conjugate

Question 24

MATCHING
Match the component with the assay with which it is associated.a.TP-PA
b.MHA-TP
c.PaGIA
d.Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
e.Magnetic beads
Gelatin particles